It Takes Two
by jenhen48
Summary: Kadence and Aria were twins who grew up never knowing the other existed. That changed when both of them were chosen for Prince Brandon's Selection. Now the two girls will uncover their connection and their pasts, while Brandon attempts to navigate his Selection, and his brother tries to stop the rebels from controlling Illéa. SYOC
1. Just Gotta Get Out

Prince Brandon was nervous. This was the first time in his life that all eyes had been on him, and he didn't like it. Usually people were focused on his older brothers. Matthew was the heir and would one day be king, so most of the public focused on him and his wife, Princess Serenity. Ryan was the troublemaker. The rebel who refused to have a Selection and was still the country's most eligible bachelor. He had plenty of attention from the media, and not the good kind. Compared to Ryan and Matthew, Brandon was nothing. He was a shadow in the palace and in the people's minds. Third in line for the throne and practically useless, at least he thought so. When the public did decide to look at the younger siblings in the royal family, they focused on the princesses. Graceful and poised, they were everything most girls aspired to be. Natalie and Brooklyn easily held the attention of the media, when it managed to get through the rest of their family and down to them. Everyone was wondering who Natalie would get engaged to. It was almost her eighteenth birthday, where she was sure to receive several offers of marriage from other country's royalty as well as high standing politicians in Illéa. Brandon was more than content to remain in the shadows of his siblings and not draw attention to himself. But tonight all of that would change. Tonight he would announce that he was having a Selection. The forms had already been sent out, it was too late for him to back out of it. It was time for Brandon to finally step out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

...

Kadence exhaled through her nose and dug her fingernails into her palms to keep herself from screaming. Although she was typically a very patient person, the customer in front of Kadence drained her tolerance and made her long for the days when she was young enough to stay home and didn't have to get up at six in the morning to work in her father's sandwich shop.

The man in front of Kadence practically threw his half eaten meal at her as he seethed because the cook had put tomato on his sandwich. Kadence grabbed the plastic basket and ignored the customer as she turned on her heel and marched back to the kitchen.

Every head turned to stare at Kadence as the doors swung shut behind her. Her best friend, and waitress at the restaurant, Claire saw her friend's face and knew that something was up.

Kadence passed the ruined food to Claire and walked through the kitchen until she found the cook. She looked at the woman who had worked here for years and tried to reign in her temper, but it wasn't easy. She wanted to scream at the woman for the tongue lashing she'd received from the customer but she knew it would be no good. Kadence couldn't take out her frustration on the staff, no matter how badly she wanted to.

It had already been a bad day for Kadence, starting when her alarm didn't go off and she showed up late for work only to discover that whoever had closed the night before hadn't done any dishes so the kitchen was a mess that she had to singlehandedly clean up. The place had to open an hour late and Kadence had to deal with the angry customers that swarmed in.

Kadence looked at the cook in front of her and felt her anger and frustration melt away. It wasn't this woman's fault that her day had been so bad. Kadence had been frustrated a lot lately and she wasn't sure why. She went to the cook and handed her the customer's ticket with his order on it.

"I need you to remake this sandwich as soon as possible, and make sure there's _no tomato_."

The cook nodded her understanding and began working on it while Kadence turned and walked away. She knew Claire would take the food out, and she didn't trust herself right now.

Kadence watched the kitchen work from a corner where no one seemed to notice her. Had this really become her life? Endless monotony and repetition from morning till night. Kadence longed for something else, _anything_ else.

That night would be different though. Her dad was getting back from his two week trip to Waverly. He rotated his time between his restaurant there in Fennley and his other shop in Waverly. Kadence had never understood why her father had his two locations on opposite ends of the country. It meant that he was always traveling between the two and hardly spent any of his time at home. When she was younger he'd take Kadence with him to Waverly every time he went, but since she turned 14 and was able to stay in Fennley and run the shop, she had to stay home. Kadence was used to being alone, but she loved when her dad came home. She didn't have any siblings and her parents had split up when she was still a baby so her dad was the only family she had. Although today she wasn't excited that he'd be home. After everything that had happened that day Kadence didn't need her dad coming home to chastise her for all the things she'd done wrong.

Kadence stuck her head through the kitchen door to make sure everything was going smoothly in the restaurant. Things seemed to be in order so she returned to her thoughts.

Was this all that life had in store for her? Working at her fathers shop for the rest of her life was not what Kadence had planned. Kadence didn't know what she wanted to do, but being a waitress wasn't it. Being a Four there were lots of options open for her, but Kadence never had time to think about them. All she wanted was a break. A chance to put things on pause and figure out her life, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Kadence sighed, tightened her chocolate brown ponytail, and left the kitchen to finish her work for the day. She just hoped there wouldn't be any other surprises.

...

After closing up that night, Kadence walked into the little apartment above the restaurant utterly exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in her bed and sleep, but that wasn't about to happen. She still had lots of chores to get done before her dad got home later that night. She thumbed through the pile of mail in her hand but stopped when she got to something with her name on it.

Kadence was really confused, she never got mail. She quickly ripped open the seal, paying no attention to the rich quality and texture of the paper. Her brown eyes quickly scanned over the letter.

To the House of Reynolds,

The recent census has confirmed that a single woman between the ages of sixteen and twenty currently resides in your home. We would like to make you aware of an upcoming opportunity to honor the great nation of Illéa.

Our beloved prince, Brandon Schreave, is coming of age this month. As he ventures into this new part of his life, he hopes to move forward with a partner, to marry a true Daughter of Illéa. If your eligible daughter, sister, or charge is interested in possibly becoming the bride of Prince Brandon and an adored princess of Illéa, please fill out the enclosed form and return it to your local Province Services Office.

"Oh my gosh," Kadence breathed.

The Selection. She held in her hands an application for the Selection. This was what she'd been looking for. This was her way out. Her way out of Fennley and everything she'd ever known, but also her way out of the future she had no say in and the lonely apartment she loathed. She knew her father would never approve, but he wasn't there to stop her. Kadence knew she had to fill it out before he got home. She _had_ to be Selected. She rushed over to the small desk, grabbed a pen and began to write.

...

 **I hope you guys liked the first chapter of this story. Future chapters will be longer but I wanted to get this done.**

 **This is an SYOC (submit your own character) story about the Selection and it takes place many years after the books. The caste system has been reinstated, and not everyone is happy about it. Rebellion is slowly rising to try and overthrow the monarchy and the royals are holding a Selection in the hopes of calming the rebels. Two of my girls will be in it, Kadence and Aria (who you'll meet next chapter) so I'll be accepting up to 33 girls. I'd like at least 20 and if I don't get thirty three I'll fill in the empty spaces with names.**

 **Rules: (I know they're really tedious and you can probably guess most of them, but they are necessary)**

 **-PM characters only. I will accept characters through reviews but ONLY IF YOU'RE A GUEST, and guests realize that by submitting this way you'll only be a supporting character at best as I can't talk with you if I have questions.**

 **-No Mary Sues or America copies. Nobody's perfect, I want real creative girls with flaws and dimension.**

 **-Be diverse! Everyone is different, but don't go too crazy. I don't want twenty girls with neon dyed hair and different colored eyes, but not everyone is the same, there are lots of different skin, eye, and hair colors.**

 **-Details, details, details. Be detailed and creative. The more details and originality you have the better chance your character will be Selected and be a main character. If your character lacks details they'll be one of the first to go.**

 **-This story is not a first come first serve, I'll be picking the girls that I think I can write well and fit with the story.**

 **-Do not submit a character that is in another Selection SYOC. At least change the name. There's lots of SYOCs out there that have the same characters and I want mine to be different.**

 **The form will be on my profile along with a list of provinces. Fennley and Waverly are both taken but all others are open. The form is a modified version of 4Love4Love4's form, she's been super helpful to me when I decided I wanted to do this. She's really cool and you should check out her SYOC, it's _amazing_!  
**

 **SYOC Application**

 **Full Name:**

 **Nicknames (Optional):**

 **Age (16-20):**

 **Province:**

 **Caste:**

 **Occupation (Should go along with their caste, if you're stuck there's a PowerPoint on 4Love4Love4's profile that's AMAZING and it helps a lot):**

 **Height/Weight/Build:**

 **Eyes:**

 **Hair (Color/length/type/preferred style)**

 **Skin Tone:**

 **Overall Appearance/Other District Features:**

 **Face Claim/Celebrity-Look-Alike (optional, and AGE APPROPRIATE!):**

 **Makeover Changes:**

 **Signature Scent:**

 **Selection Style (clothes, shoes, hair, makeup, colors, fabrics, silhouettes, jewelry, anything you can think of!):**

 **Style before the Selection (Same as above):**

 **Personality (TONS of detail here):**

 **Strengths:**

 **Weaknesses:**

 **Likes/Hobbies/Passions:**

 **Dislikes:**

 **Fears:**

 **Languages Spoken (please be realistic, nobody can speak ten languages at seventeen):**

 **Family (Name, Age, Job, Appearance, Personality, Relationship with Character):**

 **Pets?:**

 **Best friends/Friends:**

 **History/Background:**

 **First date Ideas:**

 **Maids (Optional, create three for your character):**

 **How do they treat the Selected girls:**

 **How do they treat the maids:**

 **Thoughts on the Royal Family (these don't have to be long):**

 **Thoughts/feelings toward Prince Brandon:**

 **Thoughts/feelings toward Prince Ryan:**

 **Thoughts/feelings toward Prince Matthew:**

 **Thoughts/feelings toward Princess Serenity:**

 **Thoughts/feelings toward Princess Natalie:**

 **Thoughts/feelings toward Princess Brooklyn:**

 **Thoughts/feelings toward Queen Sabrina:**

 **Thoughts/feelings toward King James:**

 **Reason for entering:**

 **Romantic History:**

 **Theme Song:**

 **Anything else:**

 **...**

 **Happy Creating!**

 **~Jen**


	2. Sisters and Secrets

**Hey guys! So I know last chapter I said this one would be about Aria, but I decided to give you more info about the Prince and royal family in this chapter and do Aria in the next one. Thanks to everyone who reviewed,** Demigod18, XOStarbrightXO, Morgenstar, and 4Love4Love4 **and who submitted characters. I still need a bunch, so submit away and let me know what you think of this chapter.**

...

Prince Brandon walked down the hallway, deliberately avoiding everyone's gaze. Everyone in the palace wanted to talk to him now it seemed, all because of the Selection. People who he'd never met before came up and congratulated him, wishing him good luck in the weeks to come. Brandon had always been shy and more of an introvert, so the sudden onslaught of attention was quite overwhelming for him. He wanted to go to his room and hide from everything between the pages of a book, like he usually did.

Brandon made his way up to the third floor and down the hall to his room, expecting it to be empty. He nearly jumped when he opened the door and saw the blonde girl sitting on his couch, waiting for him.

"Oh my gosh, Serenity! Don't you knock?" he asked, still recovering from the shock of seeing her there. Despite being a part of his family for nearly five years, Brandon had never been particularly close to his sister-in-law. The two were quite a bit alike, both introverted and quiet, more comfortable with books than people. They hardly talked when other people started the conversations, so when you put the two of them together they were quite awkward. Before she married Matthew, Serenity was a Three. She was very studious and the complete opposite of Brandon's lively, outgoing brother. Her current mission was revamping all of Illéa's public schools to make them better quality and easier access for people, especially the lower castes.

Princess Serenity laughed, "I did knock, but you weren't here so, I let myself in." Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief as she smiled at him.

"Oh..." he trailed off awkwardly. Since the shock of her being there had worn off, he wasn't quite sure what to say to her.

She laughed again at him and patted the couch beside her, inviting him to join her. Brandon walked over and sat down, still not quite sure what she wanted from him.

Serenity saw the confusion on his face and decided to help him out.

"I know you're probably sick of talking about it, but I wanted to speak with you about your Selection."

Of all the things she could have said, that wasn't what Brandon was expecting, "It is a bit overwhelming, but you know I always have time for you."

She nodded and thought for a moment before speaking, "I know everyone has an opinion about it and they all want you to listen to them. I hate to be like everyone else, but I do bring an interesting perspective on the process and wanted to help you out."

"Really?" Brandon asked, "What kind of help?"

"Well," she started, "I won the last Selection, and other than your mom, I'm the only person who knows what it's like to be on the girls side of it. Matthew can help you with his experiences, but I'm probably the most qualified to help you understand what the girls are going through. I can understand them and help them adjust, because it will be quite the change for some of them."

"What do you mean?"

"You've lived your whole life as a One, Brandon. There's nothing wrong with that, but few people are like that. If you grew up as a Six or Seven and then had to just jump to living like a One, it's a big change. And then there's the girls who just want power and the title or the money. They don't care about you, they just want to be called princess."

"They really do that?"

Serenity nodded, "There was one girl in my Selection, she actually made it to the top three, and all she wanted was the crown. She didn't care about Matthew at all, she just wanted to be Queen. For a while I thought he was going to marry her, and it broke my heart," her eyes, which had just moments ago been full of happiness, brimmed with tears.

Brandon wasn't sure what he could do to comfort her over something that was years old, "Uh, Serenity? Are you okay?" He said when he couldn't think of anything better.

Her tears spilled over but she laughed as she wiped them away, "I'm fine, really."

"Are you sure?" Brandon was still worried, usually Serenity had a much better reign on her emotions, especially after living in the palace for five years.

She nodded, still wiping at her eyes and continued with her story, "I can't even begin to explain how it felt when Matthew picked me instead. It was the happiest moment of my life. I never thought I was fit to be a princess so when he picked me, I knew he believed in me and that I could do it, and just look at me now."

"You are _quite_ the princess. I can't imagine Matthew married to anyone but you."

She smiled again, "Neither can I. I knew from the moment I was Selected that Matthew and I were meant to be. _He_ was the one who needed the convincing," she laughed quietly at some memory of the two of them together then focused on Brandon again, "And that's what I want for you. You deserve to be happy, Brandon.

Once the Selection starts, everyone will be telling you what to think and what to do. Nobody wanted Matthew to pick me, they didn't think I could do it. But Matthew loved me and here we are now. You need to follow your heart, Brandon. Don't listen to anyone else. There may be a girl in your Selection that nobody likes and everyone thinks is worthless, but if you like her than you need to keep her. Since you won't be King you don't have to find a girl who can be Queen, you just need to find a girl who makes _you_ happy. The Selection is so publicized and such a big deal that everyone wants to say that _they_ helped pick out the future princess. You need to ignore them all and focus on what you want, for once, Brandon. I know you, and you hate to disappoint anyone, but this is a choice that will be with you for _the rest of your life_. Don't worry what other people think, just do what makes _you_ happy. The Selection is supposed to be for you, don't let everyone else make it about them."

Brandon was silent for a moment. Without him having to say anything, Serenity had cut right to the heart of his fears and managed to put him at ease. He was always worried about letting people down. His family, his country, everyone. That was why he stayed out of the spotlight, if people didn't look at him, then he couldn't let them down.

For the first time, Brandon wasn't worried about his Selection. Maybe the process would actually be _fun_ and not as daunting as he first thought.

Brandon looked at his sister-in-law and smiled. Serenity saw it and smiled back.

"Thanks, sis. I think that was exactly what I needed to hear."

"Good. I'm glad that made you feel better, now are you ready to go down to lunch? Because I'm _starved_."

Brandon laughed. It seemed like Serenity was _always_ hungry these days, yet she still kept her slim, petite shape. Although lately it did seem like she was getting a bit bigger. She stood up from the couch and Brandon noticed a definite lump protruding from her small stomach that he was sure hadn't been there for very long.

He was a bit worried about bringing the subject up with her, because from growing up with two sisters he had learned that weight was usually a touchy subject for women. Serenity had just helped him out and he hoped she wouldn't mind if he asked her about it.

She was almost to the door when he cleared his throat, causing her to turn around and raise her eyebrows with a questioning look.

His face burned as he knew what he had to say, "Umm, Serenity..." he trailed off not certain if he really wanted to broach the subject.

She continued to look at him without saying a word.

"You, uh, you... maybe you should..."

" _What_ , Brandon? Maybe I should _what_? Spit it out already, I'm hungry and want to get lunch," she didn't quite _snap_ at him, Serenity never snapped at anyone, but it was pretty darn close.

His cheeks got even redder than he thought was possible and he pushed his words out in such a rush it was a miracle she could understand him at all, " _Maybe you shouldn't eat so much I think you might be getting fat_."

He held his breath as he waited for her to answer, praying that she wouldn't cry again. For a moment he thought she would and the apology was on the tip of his tongue, but instead she burst into laughter. And then she cried, but they were tears of laughter because she was giggling so hard she was doubled over for nearly a minute. When she finally got control of herself she turned to look at Brandon and saw that he was still flushed with embarrassment.

She wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand but kept smiling, "Is it really _that_ noticeable?" she wondered.

Brandon was so confused he just mutely nodded, then he decided he should probably add something so he said, "I mean, it's not _that_ bad, I just thought you might want to know in case you wanted to change it or embrace it or whatever you want to do, you still look good. I mean..." he knew he was rambling so he just stopped talking.

She chuckled quietly again and said, "Brandon. I'm not getting fat, at least not yet."

He raised his grey eyes to look at her, "You're not?"

She shook her head and then gave him the biggest smile of all, "Nope. I'm pregnant."

Brandon was shocked for just a moment before he flew across the room and embraced her in a giant hug, "You are?!"

She nodded, the giant smile still on her face, and everything suddenly made sense to him. Her recent unpredictable mood swings, her crazy appetite, how a few weeks ago she'd been sick and tired all the time, and now the small bump growing out of her abdomen. Nothing was wrong with her, she was just pregnant.

"How long?" he asked, staring at her small stomach with newfound wonder.

"I'm about thirteen weeks along," she told him, "I've just finished my first trimester."

He turned to look up at her face, "And when exactly were you planning on telling everyone?"

She looked a bit guilty, "We've been trying to keep it a secret. We didn't want the media finding out so we decided not to say anything. I wanted to tell you Brandon, I really did, but there were a few reasons why we decided to wait," she paused and when he didn't interrupt she continued, "We didn't want to take attention away from your Selection. Everyone was supposed to pay attention to you, and announcing our baby would take all of the spotlight. There's always huge parties when royal babies are announced, and we didn't want to steal the thunder from your Selection."

He could tell there was more she wanted to say, "And..." he prompted.

"And we know it will make your Selection a lot more dangerous."

"Why?"

"Because now that we're adding a new member to our family it will spur the rebels on even more. There'll be one _more_ person between them and the crown, so Matthew and I think they'll try and get rid of me _before_ I have the baby, which means they'll be attacking during your Selection. All of the girls will be in danger once people know about it, so we've been trying to keep it under wraps until the Selection is going well and I'm too big to hide it anymore."

Brandon took in the information with a nod of his head, not saying anything.

"I'm also worried," she confided, "because I know Matthew will do _anything_ to protect me. He'd take a bullet if it meant that I'd survive, and once the news of this pregnancy is out, that could be a very real possibility. I can't have that. I can't _stand_ the thought of him dying for me. _I'm_ the replaceable one. He's the one the country needs, if he dies than it means Ryan has to be King, and I don't think Illéa is quite ready for that."

Brandon chuckled with her at the thought of his irresponsible brother running the country.

Serenity sighed and laid a hand lovingly on her bump, "I guess since you know it's probably time to tell everyone else," she mused.

"Probably, but you know you'll never get a moment's peace once you do. Brook will be so excited she'll never leave you alone."

"I know, but I'd have to tell her eventually, and now's as good a time as any."

"Alright, then I guess we'd better go to lunch. You have to feed the future ruler of Illéa after all."

"That I do, and the future monarch is quite hungry so I think we should leave now," she smiled but then added, "Sorry again about all this happening at the same time as your Selection."

Brandon shrugged, "It's fine. This is more important news anyway, I still can't believe your pregnant."

"Me either, but it's _so_ wonderful."

Brandon had to agree. In a few months he would be an uncle and fourth in line for the crown instead of third.

"We should get going though. We're already late and even _I'm_ starting to get hungry, and I don't have your excuse," he offered her his arm and she took it with a smile.

They left his room without looking back and made their way to the dining room, which they knew would soon be filled with shouts and tears and laughter as Serenity and Matthew shared the news that wouldn't only change their lives, but the whole county's as well.

...

 **So, there's a royal baby on the way. I don't know about you guys, but I'm really excited for it! Don't forget to leave me a review, good, bad or otherwise. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I also need lots more characters so don't forget to submit. Hope you guys liked this chapter and please tell me what you think, I LOVE hearing from you guys.**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Jen**


	3. What Are the Odds?

**Hey guys! So this chapter introduces Aria and another OC, London with a little bit about Ember, a third OC. Thanks to everyone who reviewed,** 4Love4Love4, XOStarbrightXO, .just. , Demigod 18, LadyAnj, SolarisEclipse77 (x2), and bingo2504 **. And to everyone who submitted characters. I've been getting really good characters but I still need more so keep sending them in. So far I don't have any Threes, Fives, or Sevens and only one Six and one Four. I would love some of those castes. Another thanks to everyone who followed or favorited, you guys rock! Hope you like this chapter and leave me a review saying what you thought.**

...

"The last topic for today is music. And by music, I mean today's best artists.

Everyone knows Ember Quinn, one of music's biggest names. But right now everyone's focused on the latest scandal involving our favorite redhead."

London Banks paused for a breath and then focused on her camera again before continuing her speech, "Typically this star is generous and caring, donating lots of her own money to charities all over Illéa, But all of that is forgotten now as people focus on the journalist she got fired.

Apparently Ember and one of her friends were trying to board a plane back to Clermont when a journalist with a camera got a bit too close. According to Ember he was asking inappropriate questions and making rude comments to the girls. When he advanced on them even more, Ember ripped his camera from him and smashed it on the ground then proceeded to yell at him for an extra ten minutes. And if that wasn't bad enough she also made a call to his supervisor which resulted in the man getting fired from his post."

London paused again and reached up to re-pin a strand of her burgundy hair that had fallen out of her bun.

"I'm not sure what to think about this. I've always been a fan of Ember's, as you guys all know, and this is really unusual behavior for her.

What do you think? Was she defending herself and her friend or was it a more vicious act? If it was self defense, do you think this singer went a bit too far? Let me know in the comments and then I can decide how I feel about it. Regardless of what happened at the airport, Ember's new album _Sparks i_ s still set for its release next week. We'll have to wait and see if Ember's temper will cost her some fans or if people will ignore her personal life and just focus on the music. No matter what everyone else does I know I'll definitely be in line to buy _Sparks_ when it comes out in a few days. Make sure you leave a comment and let me know what you think about all this and tune in next week when I'll give out ten tips on the hottest new trends so you can stay ahead of them. That's all the time for today, see you next time on London's Tower."

She gave a small wave at the camera then reached over to shut it off. As soon as the camera was gone she sank back into her chair and finally relaxed. She'd edit the footage tomorrow and post it on Saturday, but for now she was too tired.

It was almost six o'clock, when her dad would come over to pick her up for their usualal Thursday night dinner. They'd been having these dinners every week for almost two years, ever since her parents had divorced and she'd moved out on her own, legally emancipated.

London looked down at herself and debated changing. She was wearing a loose red, white, and black flannel shirt over a white tank top with her hair in a "messy" bun that she'd actually had to redo five times to get right. She was wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans tucked into light brown ankle boots. She had on light foundation and eyeliner with mascara and lip gloss. She decided she looked fine, it was just dinner with her dad not anything too important.

She walked out of her bedroom to the living room, where she was greeted by her border collie Charming. She bent down and absently scratched at Charming's ears. For the last two and a half years of her life it had just been her and Charming. Her dad had decided to stay with his new wife and daughter and left London and her mother by themselves. Not long after that, her mother had gotten into a car crash after drinking too much alcohol and died, leaving London truly alone.

She continued to pet Charming as she looked through her mail. There wasn't much. Just a few bills that she'd need to pay and a couple pieces of fan mail saying how much they liked her vlogs. About halfway through the pile was something interesting. London wasn't sure what it was so she tore into the envelope and produced an application for the Selection.

She laughed out loud when she saw it. There was _no way_ she would sign up for that. London had no interest in the Prince or the Selection so she discarded the form at the bottom of the pile. She'd throw it away later when she got up.

She was still laughing about it when her phone rang. She quickly grabbed it, since her phone was never more than an arm's length away from her at any time. She glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was her dad. She waited another two rings before picking up.

"Hey dad."

"Hi London," he said.

Before he could get another word in she interrupted him, "Are you almost here? Because I'm ready to go and you were supposed to be here five minutes ago. The restaurant might give our table away and then we'd have to find somewhere else to eat and-"

"Slow down there. That's actually why I called, I need to talk to you about tonight."

"Oh? What is it?" She was confused. They had dinner together every Thursday, he'd never missed one before.

"Well, I'm not going to be able to make it tonight. Maybe we could reschedule sometime."

"Why!?" London demanded. She wasn't overly fond of her father but these dinners were the only time she got to spend time with him, and he was her only parent.

"You see, Danika has a show tonight. And it's in Calgary. Cassee and I hardly ever get to see her model and tonight's her first show in the province in months so we really wanted to go."

Ugh. _Of course_ it was because of Danika. London hated Danika. Her half sister got everything. It was because of the affair that resulted in Danika that her parents had gotten divorced. Danika now lived with both her parents while London was on her own. She was okay with that though because she hated her half sister and her mother, Cassee. Her father liked Danika better and everyone knew it, especially London. But that didn't stop her from hoping that he'd spend some time with her and and leave Danika for a few hours.

She tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice when she answered, "Okay then. Maybe we could go after? Her shows don't usually last too long, right?"

Her dad waited before he answered and she knew what he would say, "Yeah, but I don't think we can go out. Since Danika's here, Cassee and I are going to help her fill out her Selection application and then we're having a party. Cassee's _sure_ that Dani will make it." She could practically hear the eye roll her father did.

"Oh. Well are you guys going to have a party for me?" London wondered.

Her dad got a good laugh out of that. When he was finished he said, "London we all know you're not going to enter. The Selection's not really your thing. You've always been happy here, why would you enter?"

She wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Was he really so dense that he thought she was happy here. With an unfaithful father who didn't care at all what happened to her? With her crazy stepmom and spoiled brat of a sister?

"Hey. I have to go. Cassee's waiting for me. Sorry again but I'll see you next week."

"Okay," she said numbly, "bye." She hung up the phone and had to resist the urge to throw it against the wall.

Now what was she supposed to do? Her friends were still at work and would be for another few hours. She supposed she could call Wes to come over and help her edit her latest video, but she really wanted to be alone right then. She didn't have any food in the kitchen because she'd counted on going out.

She groaned, fell back onto the couch, and kicked her feet up onto the coffee table, causing her discarded mail to fly everywhere.

She sighed, got onto the floor, and began to pick up the mess. About halfway through she got to the form she's so carelessly tossed away just moments before. She studied it, debating. She hadn't been planning on entering, but her father made her reconsider.

The palace couldn't be any worse than her life here. At least in Angeles she wouldn't have to deal with her messed up family. Besides, she could bring her video stuff with her and continue her blog during the Selection.

The more she thought about it the more she wanted it. And Danika was entering. There was no way London was letting her sister beat her again. She would enter and she _would_ be Selected, and if it wasn't her than it had better not be Danika.

She made up her mind, grabbed a blue pen and started to fill out the form.

 _Name: London Celia Banks_

 _Age: 18_

 _Province: Calgary_

 _Caste: 2_

 _Occupation: Professional Blogger/Vlogger_

 _Hair color: Burgundy Brown_

 _Eye color: Amethyst_

 _Skin tone: Tan_

 _Height: 5'5_

 _Weight: 115_

 _Languages Spoken: English, French, Italian, some Swendish_

 _Hobbies: Reading, blogging,vlogging, shopping, going on social media_

She looked over her form and deemed it acceptable then looked at herself one more time. She reapplied her lipgloss, pulled out a few strands of hair so they framed her face, grabbed her purse and walked out the door.

She strode down the street on her way to the Province Service Office to get her picture taken so she could be Selected.

...

"Aria!" the blonde girl called as she tried to catch up to the longer legged brunette, " _Wait!_ "

Aria sped up and continued her walk down the street, not particularly keen to talk to her stepsister at the moment.

"I'm _sorry_ , okay? I didn't mean to tell and you know it. Would you just talk to me?"

Aria whirled around to face her stepsister, Sydney. She took full advantage of the three inches she had on the older girl to look down at her and glare.

"Oh really?" she sneered, "Then why did you do it? You knew that mom was going to freak out, but you did it anyway. You _knew_ that it would hurt me. And why did you need to?" Her voice turned sad now, "You already have everything. Mom and Dad like you better. You always get better roles than me in the shows we do. And why should I even bother entering the Selection if you do? We both know they'd pick you over me. This was the _one_ thing that was mine, and you had to ruin it just like you do _everything else_!" she screamed the last sentence, practically shaking with rage.

Despite being two years older, Sydney had always been more sensitive than Aria and tears pooled in her eyes as she responded.

"I really didn't mean to, Ari. I was mad and it just slipped out. I'm so so so sorry," the tears were about to spill out of her blue eyes and Aria had to look away.

Aria was furious with Sydney. She had ruined all of Aria's plans and now Aria had to start all over.

They had been in the living room and Aria's mom had been trying to talk her into entering the Selection. Aria really didn't want to. She was happy with her life and was not ready to get married. Aria didn't want to think about marriage yet, she had never even had a boyfriend for goodness sake.

Sydney agreed and didn't want her stepsister to enter either. She wanted to enter herself and use some of their small savings to buy a new outfit for the picture. Aria thought that was ridiculous, they hardly had enough to make ends meet as it was without dishing out money for Sydney's wardrobe. Besides, Sydney shouldn't enter, she already had a boyfriend. Aria said as much, not knowing that Sydney had been keeping her relationship a secret from their parents. Sydney flipped out, screaming at Aria and then running to their room and returning with Aria's hidden sketchbook and her meager savings. She told their mother about Aria's plan to save up as much as she could and then become a seamstress, a step down from where they were now. She also told how Aria had been keeping half of what she made every performance for herself to buy scraps of material for her designs. Their mother just stared at them, overwhelmed with all of the new information. She had numbly accepted the design book and money from Sydney. She pocketed the cash, knowing that they needed it badly but just held the book as Aria's anger grew and she stormed from the room.

She knew that she would never see her hard earned money again and that her precious designs would probably be kindling before the week was through, and it was all Sydney's fault.

Sydney stared at her stepsister, pleading with her eyes. Aria tried to stay mad, but it was really hard. Sydney looked truly sorry and Aria had told one of her secrets as well.

"Is there anything, anything at all, that I can do to make it up to you?"

Aria thought for a moment, "You can help me earn back _every cent_ that I just lost and find me a new sketchbook for my designs."

Her whole life, Aria had dreamed of being a fashion designer. She was constantly working on her sketches but she never had enough money to buy material to make them. Becoming a seamstress was the closest thing she'd ever get to creating her own designs, and she would do whatever it took to get there.

Sydney nodded, "Absolutely. I'll even talk to my dad tonight and get your book back-"

"He's my dad too!" Aria interrupted, "He might not be my biological father but he's my dad. He's the only father I've ever had and just because I only met him when I was eight doesn't make him any less important to me. _He's my dad_."

"You're right. I'm sorry. . . again. I'll get your book back, and I know a way for you to get more money."

"What is it?" Aria started, "Because I'm not cleaning up after anymore theatre performances. That's totally not worth it and I don't even want to be an actress anyway."

"It's not that," Sydney started digging through her bag looking for something. She found it and turned to Aria with a triumphant look on her face, "Here, just consider it."

She was holding an application for the Selection.

Aria shook her head, "Absolutely not. No way am I doing that. I could never be a princess, Syd."

"You don't have to. Just apply. It says you'll be _generously compensated_ if you get in. Plus, you'd be famous and then you could be a designer and not a seamstress. You could get in and take the money and then drop out as soon as you don't want to be there anymore. There's no reason not to do it, you probably won't even get picked, what are the odds? Like a million to one? Just do it."

Sydney's speech made a lot of sense, why hadn't she wanted to do it again? There didn't seem to be a bad side. Aria thought about it.

"What about you? Don't you want to enter?"

Sydney blushed with shame, "You were right. I shouldn't enter, I have Will. I'll just help you and make sure that you get in." She pulled a tube of mascara out of her purse and started toward her sister. It looked like Aria wasn't the only one keeping money from the family for herself.

"What are you doing?" she eyed the makeup with distrust.

"I'm making sure that you're the prettiest girl in the province so you're sure to be picked."

She said it with such certainty that Aria had to laugh, "Fine. Let's go join the Selection."

...

As she stood in the Province Service Office, Aria looked down at herself. She hadn't bothered changing clothes but now wished she had. Her worn out jeans and tennis shoes wouldn't be in the picture but her frilly pink tank top had a stain on it and there was a small hole near the shoulder. She hoped nobody would notice. Sydney had done her makeup and did it naturally so that her brown eyes seemed to sparkle. She had on mascara with the smallest bit of eyeliner, eyeshadow, and blush. Aria felt pretty, which was rare for her. Her limp brown hair was down and there was nothing she could do about it now. Sydney handed her a pen and she quickly filled out the form.

 _Name: Aria Grace Benoit_

 _Age: 17_

 _Province: Waverly_

 _Caste: 5_

 _Occupation: Live theater actress_

 _Hair color: Light brown_

 _Eye color: Brown_

 _Skin tone: Pale_

 _Height: 5' 9_

 _Weight: 130_

 _Languages Spoken: English and French_

 _Hobbies: Acting, singing, dancing, playing piano, drawing, sewing_

After Sydney looked over the application and deemed it appropriate, they got in line and waited. And waited. And waited.

"Should we just go?" Aria asked, very annoyed. She was not a patient person.

"No!" Sydney snapped, "We've already been here this long."

"But it's taking _forever_ ," she drew out the word much longer than was necessary.

"Too bad, Aria. You're not getting out of this that easily."

After they waited for what seemed like hours more, with Aria getting more annoyed by the second, they finally reached the front of the line. Aria flipped her hair and started teasing it to make it seem fuller.

She handed over her form, took a seat, and scowled at the camera.

"Aria!" Sydney barked, " _Smile!_ "

Aria scowled even more.

"Come on, this is for your future. Think about that."

Her future. Aria did think about that. Not about winning the Selection and marrying the prince, but about starting her own fashion line. Visiting Paris for inspiration and to see the fashion there. Finally having enough money for her parents and little brothers to never be hungry again.

That was the future she wanted, and the Selection could make it possible, she just had to be chosen.

Aria focused on the camera and gave the biggest smile of her life.

...

 **Hope you guys liked this chapter!**

 **London was created by XOStarbrightXO**

 **Aria was done by me**

 **Ember is is also an OC and she was made by Demigod 18**

 **Keep sending me characters cuz I still need a lot more.**

 **Also, let me know what you'd like to see next chapter: another POV from the Prince and royal family, more twin action, or more OC intros. Don't forget to leave me a review, they really make my day!**

 **Thanks guys!**

 **~Jen**


	4. You Could Be a Princess

**Hey guys! This chapter is an intro for a few more of the Selected. I still have lots of open spaces so submit away! Also huge thanks to everyone who followed, favorited, or reviewed. You guys are what inspire me to keep writing this so thank you!**

...

 **Callista de la Fuente**

Callista hurried down the street to her mother's jewelry shop. She knew she was running late, but she'd just had to talk to him.

Tiller Dawson. The son of their maid and the gardener for her house. Tiller only came over once a week to tend to the plants and flowers, but it was always the best day of the week for Callista. She'd had a crush on him for as long as she could remember and every time he came she made sure to be there so she could talk with him. This time he'd been even more funny and charming than usual and Callista had completely lost track of time.

She knew there was no hope for them. Tiller was a Six and she was a Four. Her family would never approve, and Tiller was too nice to drag her down two castes. There was also the small matter that he didn't seem to reciprocate her feelings. He was nice enough to her, but that was just his personality. Every time she flirted with him he never seemed to notice and she just found herself liking him more and more. There was nothing she could do to stop it. Callista was also supposed to marry someone else. After her grandfather died and her mother became a Four, everyone looked to Callista to restore them to their Two status through marriage. Her parents already had her husband picked out, not caring that the two couldn't stand each other. She had Tiller, and her "fiancé" had always preferred her sister, Tatiana.

She reached the front of the shop and threw the door open, causing the bell to jangle loudly and everyone inside to look at her.

Thankfully there was only one customer, and he briefly glanced up at her before returning his gaze to the display case below.

Callista hurried to the back behind the counter where she could look out at the store.

The man was still there and he was talking with Tatiana about rings. If Callista had to guess she'd say he was going to propose. He picked up two and compared them side by side, giving Tatiana a chance to look across the shop at her sister.

"You're late Calli," she said, grinning at the nickname she knew Callista hated.

Callista stuck her tongue out at her sister, "Sorry, Tati. I was busy."

"Busy flirting with that gardener boy, no doubt."

Callista felt her face burn as her grandmother walked out front and gave her a knowing smile. Her grandmother and Tatiana were the only ones who knew about her feelings for Tiller, and she wanted to keep it that way.

She heard her sister laugh and then go back to resizing the ring for the customer.

Callista refused to look at Tatiana but she felt the younger girl's eyes on her. She grabbed a pile of her latest jewelry designs and began working on them so that her and her mother could make them later. When she was sure no one was looking, she flipped to the bottom of the pile. But it wasn't a jewelry design she was working on, it was her novel. Callista liked designing jewelry, but writing was her true passion. She had to keep it hidden though, because authors were Threes, not Fours and if her mother caught her writing instead of working she would be in for it.

Callista grabbed a pen and began writing. She lost herself in the words and found herself in another world, far away from jewelry stores and arranged marriages. She was so deep into her writing that she jumped when Tatiana appeared next to her.

"Oh my gosh, Tati! You _scared_ me!" Callista practically screamed, while trying to covertly cover up her writing with one of her designs.

"I've been here for nearly ten minutes, Calli. It's not my fault you didn't notice me. And you weren't even listening to me were you?"

Embarrassed, Callista had to shake her head.

Tatiana rolled her eyes but repeated herself anyway, "I said that he made a lot of sense and maybe we should enter."

Callista was thoroughly confused but she didn't want Tati to make fun of her even more. She looked around the store and realized the man had bought the ring and left.

Tatiana sensed her confusion and explained, "That man who was in here bought a ring for his girlfriend. He wanted to propose to her before she filled out the application for the Selection. He was worried she would enter and he'd lose her. But that got me thinking," her eyes took on a mischievous glint and Callista knew she wouldn't like what her sister said next, "Neither of us have a boyfriend," she smiled even wider, "so what's to stop _us_ from entering the Selection?"

Callista laughed out loud at her optimistic younger sister, "Really Tati? How about the fact that we work all day everyday when the Service Office is open? Or that you may not have a boyfriend but there is a boy in love with you. Coincidentally the same boy I'm supposed to marry."

" _Exactly_!" Tatiana interrupted, "If you were Selected you wouldn't have to marry him. Mom and Dad couldn't object to you marrying a prince. And just think, you could be a _princess_." Tatiana sighed at the thought.

Callista chuckled again, "All right, Tati, I'll give you all of those; but when would we have time to sign up? We can't just ditch work to go sign up when there's probably no way we'll get in."

"Go try it. What's the harm?" Both girls jumped at the sound of their grandmother's voice, not realizing that she'd been listening the whole time. "This is a once in a lifetime chance, and both you girls have a good shot of getting in. Do it. If you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your lives."

The girls exchanged a glance, shocked.

Tatiana snapped out of it first and raced over to throw her arms around their grandmother.

"Thank you, Grandma!" she gave he old woman another squeeze before running to the other side of the store and rummaging in a drawer for something.

"Tatiana, what on earth are you doing?" Callista wondered.

Her sister found what she was looking for, shut the drawer and hustled back to where Callista and their grandmother were waiting.

"What're those?" Callista asked.

A faint blush tinged her cheeks as she responded, "Well, I was thinking earlier, that since Mom is getting supplies and not here at the store, today would be a good day to sign up. So I hid the forms here yesterday."

"Of course you did," Callista resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "now why don't you come over here so we can fill them out instead of standing there. We don't have all day you know."

Tatiana glared at her sister but handed her a form. Callista looked it over before starting to fill it out.

"Name," she said then laughed, "you know I'm out just on that. It'll take them ten minutes just to say my name, Callista Eduarda Marie de la Fuente is quite a mouthful."

Tati laughed, "You think that's bad? Mine's even longer!"

"True," Callista agreed and then went back to her form.

 _Name: Callista Eduarda Marie de la Fuente_

 _Age: 18_

 _Province: Kent_

 _Caste: 4_

 _Occupation: Jewelry Designer/Maker_

 _Hair color: Light Caramel Brown_

 _Eye color: Bright Blue_

 _Skin tone: Tan_

 _Height: 5'6_

 _Weight: 112_

 _Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, some Greek_

 _Hobbies: Writing, tinkering, collecting, running_

Callista finished and looked up to see that Tatiana was already done and standing at the door waiting for her. She got up, thanked her grandmother again, then ran over to Tatiana. She opened the door and they left, on their way to the Province Service Office to take the picture that would change one of their lives.

...

After standing in line for hours and missing the rest of her shift, Callista trudged up the walkway to her house ready to fall into bed and sleep for twelve hours. Tatiana wasn't much better and the two girls didn't say anything as they made their way closer to home.

As she was about to open the door, Callista saw movement in her peripheral vision. She glanced closer and saw the one thing that could make her straighten up and quickly run a hand through her hair: Tiller.

Tatiana saw why her sister had stopped and rolled her eyes before going inside and practically slamming the door behind her.

Tiller saw Callista and waved. She smiled and suddenly found herself with energy she didn't know she had as she walked over to him.

"Hi Tiller," she said shyly.

"Hey Callista," he seemed just as nervous as she was and that made her feel better, "Uh, I was um about to leave but I uh wanted to talk to you first. If that's okay."

Callista could only nod as he took her hand and led her to the old swing on the back porch of her house. They sat down side by side with their knees touching and Tiller began slowly rocking the swing.

Callista wasn't sure what Tiller wanted but she was content to just sit with him and enjoy the evening air. They rocked for another minute before Callista worked up the courage to meet his eyes.

She glanced up and saw his brown eyes focused on her in a way she'd never seen before. Before she had time to process what was happening he placed a hand delicately on her cheek and pulled her lips up to meet his. The kiss was the sweetest thing Callista had ever experienced and she melted completely into it. She never wanted it to end and even after Tiller pulled back she savored it for a moment before opening her eyes.

She found him staring at her and the look in his eyes melted her heart. She smiled back at him with everything she had.

He grinned at her, "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

She laughed, "Probably almost as long as me."

He smiled at her again and Callista thought that this must be what being in love felt like.

"I've liked you for a long time, Callista. I didn't do anything about it though because I was worried. You're so _amazing_ and I'm just some Six gardener. You'd never like me so I tried to give up," he paused and met her eyes with an intensity Callista had never seen before, "but I can't give up on you. I tried and that didn't work so I'm done. There's nothing I can do but accept how I feel and hope you feel the same way, because if you don't then I don't know how I'll go on." He looked at Callista and she was speechless so he continued, "I'll do whatever it takes to prove that I deserve you Callista. I'll never stop trying and once I earn enough money I want to take you somewhere, just the two of us. If you'd like that?"

Callista could only nod as she tried to keep her joyful tears from spilling over, "I would love that."

"Good," Tiller said, "I have to leave now, but don't forget what I said."

"I could never."

He smiled again before pulling her close for a last kiss and then walking away. He stopped at the gate and said, "See you next week?"

She smiled and nodded, still too stunned to do much more than that.

Callista watched him go, filled with a joy she'd never imagined. She stayed outside a bit longer just feeling happy, but eventually she had to go in.

She walked in the front door and made her way into the kitchen where Tatiana was cooking supper.

"You look happy," she said.

Callista nodded, "I am."

Tati smiled, "Did you finally realize that you have a good chance of being Selected and will have to thank me once you become a princess? And by thank I mean make me a princess too."

Callista's face paled. She'd forgotten all about the Selection. She didn't want to be in it, not when Tiller had finally returned her feelings. If she had Tiller she wouldn't have to be in an arranged marriage. As long as she had Tiller everything would be fine.

Callista wanted to race back to the Service Office and take her form back, but she knew it was too late. She's seen them pin her picture to her application and put it in the mailbox with all the rest of the forms.

It would be okay though. There were thousands of girls entering from Kent. She would never be picked out of all of them. Nobody needed to know that she'd entered. It wouldn't amount to anything, and when the girls were announced on Friday and she wasn't one of them this wouldn't matter anymore.

That's all she had to do. Just wait until Friday. After Friday things would be right, as long as she wasn't Selected.

...

 **Seraphina Casteel**

Seraphina walked out the front door of her house and quietly shut the door behind her. Sure she wasn't technically sneaking out, but she still didn't want to wake up anyone in her family. They all knew where she was going and though they disapproved of her job there was no denying how much they depended on the money she brought in.

Sera had always been a pretty girl. She'd even dreamed of being a model when she was younger, so it wasn't really a surprise when someone suggested she become an escort. Nobody had been thrilled about the idea, least of all Sera, but after her first couple of paychecks came in her family didn't mind as much.

As an escort Sera had to accompany her clients to whatever event they paid to have her at, pretend to flirt with them and have a good time, and then some of them even tried to get physical with her, which she hated. She knew other girls at the escort service did it, because they pay was always better when they did, but Sera refused. She was selling her looks, not her body. She was an escort, not a prostitute, and no amount of money was worth selling herself.

Sera saw the escort service at the end of the street and she hurried over and entered.

Despite the late hour the building was in full swing. Sera went into one of the back rooms where a lady with a clipboard was organizing all of the dates. She saw Seraphina and went over to a rack of clothing and began skimming through it looking for her name. She found the dress and turned around to hand it to Sera without a word.

Sera went into the nearest room and slipped into the light dress. It was a spaghetti strap royal blue dress with a sweetheart neckline that ended just above her knees. It was one of the most simple dresses Sera had ever worn but she liked it.

She emerged from the dressing room and quickly applied winged eyeliner and mascara to her bright blue eyes then added a thick coat of red lipstick. She ran her already wavy dark chestnut hair through a curling iron to give more waves and the went to the front room. The woman with the clipboard saw her and flipped through the papers.

"Tonight you'll be escorting Mr. Scott Thomas to a private dinner and movie showing," she fixed Sera with a frosty glare, "Mr. Thomas is one of our best clients and it needs to stay that way. You're on thin ice right now because of all the complaints about you. If this night doesn't go perfectly, and I mean perfectly, than I'm afraid you'll be out of the job."

Sera knew about this client. All of the escorts talked about him. He was one of the worst to get. Old enough to be the girls' father, he was one who always got what he wanted. Seraphina knew that if she escorted him she would start the night as a Seven and end it as an Eight. That was not something she was okay with.

"No," she said, "anyone but him."

"Miss Casteel, he is your assigned client for the evening, and if you have a problem with that than I suggest you leave now, because you won't be welcome back here if we get another complaint about you."

Seraphina met the lady's stare with one of her own. They looked at each other for a while, neither of them backing down. Finally the lady rolled her eyes and looked away. Seraphina didn't get to enjoy her victory though.

She thought for a moment before turning around in her three inch heels and marching back out the door. Sera knew that this night would end with her unemployed, and she'd rather leave now with her head held high and her dignity intact than be kicked out later.

She reached the door and sauntered out without ever looking back.

Seraphina wasn't in the mood to go home. Seeing her family would just make her regret the decision to quit. She decided to take a walk and clear her head. Sera found herself walking downtown, where most places were closed but a few stores had glittering lights shining out at her.

She continued walking around, dreading going home. How could she face her family now? Her job, as much as she hated it, was the main one in her family and she brought home the vast majority of their money.

Seraphina stopped short when she saw a group of girls pretty much camped out on the sidewalk. It was past curfew so they really shouldn't be there, they could get caught, but then again so could she.

As she got closer she realized that the building they were in front of was actually the Service Office.

Why would anyone camp in front of a government building after curfew? She wondered.

Her curiosity got the better of her and she walked over and called, "What are you doing?"

All of the girls looked at her and seemed to give her a once over before answering. She grew a bit self conscious at their stares, but she was still wearing the blue dress and heels with her makeup done to perfection. Whatever they saw met their approval because one of them waved her over.

The girl who seemed to be in charge patted the ground next to her and Seraphina sat down. Her honey blonde hair was done in perfect curls and her green eyes sparkled as they met Sera's.

"We're waiting for the Service Office to open in a few hours. We wanted to be the first ones to submit our applications to the Selection. Whoever gets their form in first has a better chance of being Selected," she paused and saw Sera's confusion before continuing, "It's not a lottery at all. The royals won't want to look through thousands of applications if a perfect girl is sent as the first one. If our forms get their first then one of us is sure to be picked."

Her logic didn't make much sense to Sera, but she didn't seem like the brightest girl. There was also something else that was bothering her.

"What about curfew though? Won't you guys get caught?"

The blonde girl laughed and the others followed suit.

"We're fine," she said, "My dad's the police chief so we won't get into any trouble."

That part did make sense to Sera and she suddenly felt a lot better about being out in the streets this late.

"By the way," she added, "I'm Athena."

She extended a hand and Seraphina took it, "I'm Sera."

Athena nodded and then asked, "So, Sera, are you signing up for the Selection?"

Sera chuckled, "I actually hadn't even thought about it," she admitted.

"Oh, well if you want to I have an extra form. My sister decided not to apply."

"Thanks," Sera told her.

She began to consider the Selection. Really _consider_ it. Was there anything wrong with it? If she was Selected, then she'd have enough money to provide for her family and they wouldn't have to know she lost her job. She'd get to live a life of luxury and have a once in a lifetime experience. If she wasn't Selected, then nothing would change. She'd find a new job and a new way to support her family and make as much money as she could while she was still young and beautiful. There really was no downside to the Selection.

Sera looked over and smiled at Athena, "Give me that form, I'm signing up."

...

 **That was chapter four for you guys. Hope you liked it and let me know what you think in a review.**

 **Callista was made by SolarisEclipse77 and Seraphina was made by wolfofstark**

 **The SYOC is still open, but there are a couple of things I'm looking for now.**

 **First off, no more Indian girls. Now I'm not saying I don't like Indians, because I do. They give diversity to the story, but I have a bunch of them so no more please. If you want to do a different ethnicity try doing New Asian, Hispanic, or even African American. Thanks.**

 **For castes, I'm still accepting Twos, but at this point I'd prefer something lower like a Three, Four, Five, or Six. Twos are fine but make sure they're detailed and original or they won't be getting in.**

 **Also, here's a little but more about the royal family to help with your applications:**

 **King James (49): The King is very family oriented and loves spending time with them even though he doesn't get to much. He cares very deeply about his country and likes to stay on the offensive. He'd rather start a war than wait have his country and family threatened or killed and have to retaliate. He's a kind and loving father but he's also King and doesn't like when his decisions are questioned.**

 **Queen Sabrina (47): The Queen is the epitome of grace and is a perfect lady. She's refined and quiet. She's a true diplomat and has great relations with all of Illéa's allies. Sabrina cares about her family but she wants then to make good choices and be an example to the rest of the country. She cares about reputations and image and she'll do whatever it takes to make sure her family's stays good.**

 **Prince Matthew (25): Matthew is a true leader. Raised his whole life to be King he knows how to look from all perspectives and make hard decisions. He's very caring and tends to focus on his family more than the country, which his father is always trying to fix.**

 **Princess Serenity (24): Serenity grew up as a Three and it shows even as she prepares to step into the role of Queen. She's quiet and studious, a balance to her husband. She loves books and would prefer to spend all day reading rather than hosting diplomatic events. Her heart is in Illéa's schools and it's her dream to see them improved.**

 **Prince Ryan (21): Ryan is the carefree easygoing prince. He doesn't care what the media or country think about him and he walks through life like there are no consequences. He has a reputation for being a playboy and he's a huge flirt. Ryan does what he wants and ignores everything else. He cares about his family but he doesn't like showing it. He'd sacrifice anything to make sure nothing bad happened to his family. He has a big attitude but most of it is for show because deep down he is a caring person.**

 **Prince Brandon (19): In this midst of his chaotic family, Brandon is the calm, quiet one. He's very level headed and logical. He's a caring person around his family and friends but to the media he's the shy invisible prince, until his Selection at least. Brandon needs to learn to think with his heart instead of his head and to stop always being selfless during his Selection. He's a very generous and kind person and he would love to see the castes eliminated again in Illéa even if he doesn't think it's possible.**

 **Princess Natalie (almost 18): Natalie is seen as the perfect princess. She's graceful and poised. She's very close to Brandon and the two have a special relationship because they're so close in age. and is the quietest except for him. She's very generous and cares about her country. She's very opposed to the idea of an arranged marriage and is trying to find a way to get out of it without angering her mother or hurting their alliances.**

 **Princess Brooklyn (16): Brooklyn is extremely outgoing and fun loving. Since she's the youngest she's used to being spoiled by her older siblings a bit. She's always doing something and she hates having to sit still and be in boring diplomatic parties. Brooklyn loves parties and just having fun. She doesn't take anything seriously and isn't worried about being forced into an arranged marriage yet.**

 **I think that's it for now. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think of all the characters that you've met so far. Who's your favorite? Who would you like to see next/more of? I think next chapter will be more Selected intros but let me know if there's something else you want to see.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **~Jen**


	5. Give Me That Form!

**Hey guys! Just a heads up this chapter is not my best but I really wanted to get it done for you. Thanks to everyone who reviewed (and I'm so sorry I forgot this last chapter so it's included here),** XOStarbrightXO (x2), .just. (x2), wolfofstark (x2), PercyjacksonRxs, LadyAnj, Morgenstar, Demigod18, SolarisEclipse77 (x2), and 4Love4Love4 (x2) **.**

...

 **Tristyn Westfall**

"Hey Tris," her best friend since kindergarten, Alessa called, "You don't have to work tonight do you?"

Tris shook her head, "I just have to finish this shift then I'm off until Friday."

"That's good, I have to work today and tomorrow night," Alessa said.

Tris didn't envy her friend at all. She hated having to work the late night shifts. The drunk customers and the loud music and everyone yelling. She would much rather work the daytime shifts and go home to be with her family at night.

"I'll miss the money, but I'd rather be at home," Tris said.

Alessa nodded in agreement, she hated working the night shifts too.

Tristyn looked out at the small, dirty cafe and when she saw that no one needed anything she turned back to Alessa.

"Since neither of us have to work do you want to hang out tonight?" Alessa asked.

Normally Tris would have said yes in a heartbeat. She loved hanging out with Alessa and all of her friends.

But that was before. Before her boyfriend of two years cheated on her.

Tris had been completely head over heels for Nick. The two were friends for years but eventually became more than that. They did everything together. They hung out with the same people and had been close since elementary school.

Nick was a Four, and he was everything Tristyn could have asked for. Completely devoted and supportive of her, or at least she thought so.

It wasn't even a week ago when she'd gotten off of her late shift and gone outside, where Nick was supposed to pick her up. Instead of finding him waiting for her, she'd seen him making out with another one of the girls who worked there. He'd been so wrapped up in the girl he was kissing that he hadn't even noticed her watching him.

Tris had gone up and confronted him about it, sending the girl he was kissing running. The two had gotten into a huge fight, in which Tris had dumped him and ran off in tears.

Now a week later Tris still wasn't over it. Just the thought of him made her eyes tear up. She wanted to hang out with her friends tonight, but she couldn't stand the thought of seeing him.

She looked at Alessa and tried to keep her voice casual, "I don't know, who's going to be there?"

Alessa couldn't meet her eyes as she answered, "Oh you know, the usual, Allie, Bonnie, Nick, and me."

At the mention of his name Tris visibly flinched, "I don't think I can tonight, sorry."

Alessa felt sorry for her friend but it was getting ridiculous, "Tris, you need to live your life. You can't tiptoe around because of him. It was _his_ mistake so you shouldn't suffer because of it."

"I know, but it's still too hard. I just need some time. I wish there was a way to get away for a while, but my family needs me. I was thinking about signing up for the Selection, but I don't know, it's not really my thing."

"Oh my gosh!" Alessa yelled, "That's _perfect_! You totally have to sign up!"

"What?" Tris asked, "Why would I? I don't even know the prince."

"You should do it because then you could get away from Nick for a while and move on to someone else. And your family wouldn't suffer because you get compensated for being at the palace."

Tris still wasn't sure, "I don't know, I'll think about it."

Alessa sighed, "Fine, but you _really_ should do it."

...

Later that night Tris sat in her shared bedroom alone. It was the only spare bedroom and Tris shared it with her little sister and brother. Her and her sister shared a bed and they had to rotate sleeping on the floor every other night. It was small and cramped, but it was home.

She looked at the thick paper of the form in her hands. Did she really want to give up her family for the palace? Should she apply?

Her thoughts drifted toward Nick. Right now he was hanging out with _her_ friends. _She_ should be there not him. He didn't deserve them and he didn't deserve her. She could do _so_ much better. Just thinking that had her both angry and sad. In that minute she knew, she had to sign up. She grabbed a black pen and started writing.

 _Name: Tristyn Delaney Westfall_

 _Age: 19_

 _Province: Belcourt_

 _Caste: 6_

 _Occupation: Nightclub/Cafe Waitress_

 _Hair color: Raven Black_

 _Eye color: Ferny Green_

 _Skin tone: Pale_

 _Height: 5'7_

 _Weight: 120_

 _Languages Spoken: English, some French, some Spanish_

 _Hobbies: Watching movies, listening to music, hanging out with friends, walking_

After making sure her form was perfect she securely tucked it away to turn in the next morning. Even though it was early, Tris wanted to look her best for the picture tomorrow. She walked over and climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. One thought stayed with her as she drifted off: _Did she want to be a princess?_

...

 **Everly Castle**

Everly Castle loved her job. Books and reading were her favorite things in the world, and as a librarian she got to spend her time surrounded by books and reading for most of the day.

Everly wheeled the empty book cart back over to the desk. She'd just finished reshelving all of the returned books. She sat down in the chair behind the desk and picked up her book. She was almost finished with it even though she'd only started it the day before. It was a romance novel, Everly's favorite. In books everyone always got their happily ever after, and that's what she dreamed about. All Everly wanted was to find her own true love and have her happy ending, but she'd already had her chance and lost it.

Everly looked up from her book as her best friend Tamin Jones came in. Everly was staying with Tasmin for the week while her parents were out of town. This was a common occurrence because Everly's parents were always busy, so sometimes it felt like she practically lived with Tasmin. This closeness was also how she fell so hard for Tasmin's brother, Duke.

" _Everly_! Guess what?" Tamsin exclaimed, "Oh never mind, you'll never guess."

Everly smiled, "Well then I guess you'd better tell me."

Tasmin paused and took a dramatic breath before answering, "You are going to be in the Selection!"

" _What_?"

"I was at your house, taking care of the cats and watering the plants, you know, like your mom asked me to do," she rolled her eyes at that, Everly knew that Tamsin hated watching their house for them, "and I got the mail. Usually it's just stuff for your parents, but this time there was a letter for you! It's an application for the Selection. You _have_ to apply, I know you'll get in!"

"Wait a minute. You _opened my letter_!" Everly wasn't sure whether to feel violated or not.

"Of course I didn't!" Tamsin seemed offended at the accusation, "you can tell just from the envelope. No one else has paper that fancy. Here," Tamsin pulled the envelope out of her bag and thrust it at Everly.

Everly studied the envelope with her name on it for a minute before tearing it open. It was indeed an application for the Selection and Everly just looked at it. She'd never considered entering the Selection, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. She still wasn't sure if she was over Duke yet even though it had been nearly a year.

It was as if Tamsin could sense her thoughts because she said, "Come on, Everly. It's high time you found yourself a real prince instead of my silly excuse of a brother."

Tamsin knew all about Everly's heartbreak over Duke. She knew how much Everly had cared about him. But he didn't care about her as much. When he finally did get feelings for her, he didn't act on them. He gave Everly one kiss before he went and moved to Angeles to expand his architecture business. That was the biggest piece of affection Everly had ever received. As a girl who was ignored at home and bullied at school, Duke was the one thing she could count on and hope for. And he'd taken her heart and shattered it into a million tiny pieces. Yet she couldn't stop herself from hoping. Hoping that maybe her come back for her someday. Entering the Selection would be admitting that Duke had played her and wasn't ever coming back, and Everly wasn't sure if she was ready to do that.

"Everly, you need to get over him. He broke your heart, so what? It's been a year! It's time for you to move on, and entering the Selection is the first step. Even if you don't get picked, you're ready to have a real relationship besides Duke."

Everly hesitated, "I don't know. Is the Selection really the best way to-"

" _Oh_ for crying out loud," Tamsin blurted, " _give me that form_!" She reached over and ripped the form from Everly's hands, causing a big wrinkle to appear on the top.

She reached across Everly and grabbed the first pen she found, a bright orange one.

"Name," she read, "Everly Paige Castle," she spoke as she wrote it down.

"Tamsin," Everly said, "Stop, I don't think I want to enter. I'm not sure-"

"Exactly," Tamsin interrupted, "That's why _I'm_ signing you up, because _I'm_ sure. You're going to do this Everly, it'll be good for you."

Tamsin continued writing, "Age: 18, Province: Hundson, Caste-"

"Fine, Tamsin, you win, but at least let me fill out the form myself."

Tamsin smiled and handed her the form, "Alright."

Everly snatched the pen from her friend, "Now the handwriting won't match," she complained.

Everly looked at the form and continued from where Tamsin had left off.

 _Name: Everly Paige Castle_

 _Age: 18_

 _Province: Hundson_

 _Caste: 3_

 _Occupation: Librarian_

 _Hair color: Strawberry Blonde_

 _Eye color: Blue_

 _Skin tone: Pale_

 _Height: 5'3_

 _Weight: 130_

 _Languages Spoken: English, French, some Greek and Latin_

 _Hobbies: Reading, writing, studying, stargazing_

"Done," she told Tamsin.

"Great, now let's go get your picture taken."

Everly was wearing a nice enough outfit. She had on a cream colored dress that buttoned down and cinched at the waist. It had a black Peter Pan collar and matching cuffs. The dress ended just above her knees and she was wearing sheer tights underneath and a pair of black flats. The top half of her hair was pulled back and she was wearing a bit of mascara and blush. She looked pretty good for a normal day, and she didn't really think that she'd get in after all.

"Alright, let's go."

...

 **Vivian Thompson**

"Come on, Vivi, come _on_ ," her nine year old sister, Melanie said. She grabbed Vivian's hand and pulled to make her go faster.

"Get off you little monkey, I'm coming," Vivian laughed.

Vivian understood why Melanie was so excited, but she'd had a long day and trudging up four flights of stairs wasn't improving her mood. The store wasn't doing so well lately, and today she'd had to lay off another seamstress, which she hated but they just couldn't afford her.

Vivian and Melanie reached the door to their apartment and Vivian dug her key out and opened it. Melanie ran ahead and went straight to the kitchen where she began getting out bowls and ingredients.

Vivian paused in the doorway and put away her keys before tossing her purse onto the couch.

"Vivi is that you?" someone called.

"Yeah," she hollered back before following Melanie to the kitchen.

Vivian heard a bedroom door open and turned around to see her best friend Michaela.

"Studying?" Vivian asked.

Michaela nodded, "I'm _so_ close to getting my doctorate. I just have a few more tests to pass and then I'll finally be certified." Michaela was practically giddy with joy. For as long as Vivi had known her this was Michaela's dream. Michaela loved helping people and that's what she wanted to spend her whole life doing.

"Well that's something else we can celebrate then," Melanie declared.

"Oh?" Michaela asked, "What are we celebrating then?"

"We're celebrating our third year in Illéa and," Melanie could hardly contain her excitement, "Vivi's gonna make a cake!"

"Has it been three years already?" Michaela mused.

Vivian nodded, "It seems like just yesterday when we were in Ireland and I was your maid."

Michaela nodded.

The two hadn't grown up in Illéa, they'd grown up in Ireland, and Michaela wasn't just some girl with a dream, she was a princess of Ireland, fourth in line for the throne. Vivian was just a servant in the palace but when she was promoted to a maid her and Michaela became friends.

Michaela didn't want to be a princess and Vivian didn't want to be a maid, but they were happy enough. Though once Michaela was sixteen and going to be forced into an arranged marriage, that changed. Michaela wanted to live somewhere where she could be whoever she wanted, not a pawn in a political chess game, so she devised a plan to run away, and she offered to take Vivi with her. Vivian agreed, knowing that it was her chance to choose her own life and that it would be the best thing for Melanie.

Now three years later the two were still friends and were able to live their dreams. Michaela was about to become a doctor and Vivian was able to have Melanie in school and owned a dress shop where she was the designer. It really was something worth celebrating.

Melanie interrupted the girls' thoughts, "Can you make the cake _now,_ Vivi?"

"Sure. You want to help me?"

Melanie nodded excitedly and ran over to the counter with the mixer.

"You two have fun, I'm gonna go get the mail," Michaela turned and left the kitchen.

Vivian turned and dumped a couple sticks of butter and the sugar into the bowl and started to cream it.

Melanie got the cocoa powder out and soon the girls had a delicious chocolate cake baking in the oven, filling the small apartment with the sweet smell.

The buttercream icing was made and chilling in the fridge when Michaela returned, holding two thick envelopes.

"What do you have there?" Vivian asked.

"I believe they're our applications for the Selection."

"Oh, you can get rid of mine." Vivian said.

"Why?" Michaela wondered.

"I'm not into that stuff, I'm not princess material," Vivian said offhandedly.

"What!" said Michaela incredulously, "You? You _are_ princess material. You're loyal, compassionate, hardworking, brave, and kind. If you aren't princess material, then I don't know what is."

"You really think so?" Vivian whispered.

Michaela nodded emphatically, "I do, and I really think you should enter."

"What about Mel? I can't just leave her." Vivian said.

"Did you really just ask that? _Of course_ I'd take care of her. Now no more excuses, are you entering or not?"

"Okay, I'll do it."

Vivian pulled out the form and started filling it out.

 _Name: Vivian Brooke Thompson_

 _Age: 18_

 _Province: Bonita_

 _Caste: 4_

 _Occupation: Fashion Designer/Shop Owner_

 _Hair color: Dark Chestnut Brown_

 _Eye color: Dark Brown_

 _Skin tone: Honey_

 _Height: 5'2_

 _Weight: 121_

 _Languages Spoken: English, Punjabi, Irish, French, a bit of Polish_

 _Hobbies: Designing clothes, playing the piano and violin, baking, swimming_

Just as she finished the form, the timer over the oven dinged. Melanie came running in from the other room and practically dragged Vivian to the kitchen.

"What about your form?" Michaela asked.

"I'll turn that in later," Vivian called over her shoulder, "Right now I have a cake to frost."

...

 **Tristyn was made by .just.**

 **Everly was made by ApolloSerenity**

 **Vivian was made by Cookiedoodles168**

 **For the SYOC part of the story I only have 11 spots left so I'll be a bit more picky when choosing who to let in.**

 **At this point I don't want any more Twos. I'd like more lower caste girls if possible. I need Fives and Sixes but I'll accept any caste that's not a Two.**

 **I also want more ages. I don't have any girls that are twenty yet and only two that are sixteen. I'd like at least one twenty year old but more would be nice.**

 **Also as some of you may know, I just made a Pinterest and there's a board on there for this story. If you guys want to check it out My username is the same as on here.**

 **I think that's all for now. Leave a review and tell me who your favorite character is so far so I get an idea of who I should write more of.**

 **Til next time guys!**

 **~Jen**


	6. Ready or Not, Here It Comes

**Hey guys! Guess who's been doing super fast updates lately? It's me! But that probably will only last for break so don't get used to it. Thanks to everyone who supports me though, especially these awesome people for reviewing .just. , Demigod18, PercyjacksonRxs, LadyAnj, wolfofstark, and XOStarbrightXO.**

 **This chapter introduces an OC and then we get to see a little bit more of the royal family, hope you like it!**

...

 **Amaretta Foster**

"Amara!" Her foster sister, Emilie, screamed as she raced over and gave her a hug. Amara hugged her back with everything she had. Emilie was by far her favorite member of the family, and one of the only ones to treat her like she actually belonged there.

"Emilie, it's good to see you. I missed you," she gave her one last squeeze before letting her go and moving on to her foster mother, Mackenzie.

Mackenzie hugged her the way only a mother can, and despite being shorter than Amara, she squeezed so hard that Amara was gasping for breath when she was released.

"It's _so_ good to see you again, Amara. Things just aren't the same around here when you're gone," despite her warm smile Amara knew she didn't mean it as a compliment. Amara just added tension to their otherwise peaceful family. When she was gone it was a chance for everyone to relax and not have to worry about the freaky foster girl who lived with them.

Her foster father, Tyler, smiled at her from across the room and her younger sister Catherine waved from the doorway before disappearing into the family room.

Amara knew that not everyone in her foster family liked her, but still she thought they'd be there to welcome her home, she'd been gone for four weeks after all.

"Where is everyone?" she wondered.

"I actually don't know," Mackenzie answered, "The girls were all in the family room. Maddie and Emilie were filling out their Selection applications, I saved yours if you'd like to enter. I think Ryan is out with some girl, he probably forgot you were coming home today or I'm sure he would have been here. I'm not sure where George went and the last I knew Thomas was in his room playing," she paused and thought for a moment, "I think that's everyone, but I wouldn't be surprised if I forgot one, there's always something going on around here."

"Oh, okay," Amara said, "I guess I'd better go unpack my stuff."

Mackenzie nodded, "It really is good to have you back. How long are you staying?"

"Two weeks and then I go back on tour for another four." A few months ago Amara had signed with a professional symphony, Coro Mozzafiato, playing the piano, and now she toured all over Illéa. She'd go on tour for a month and then come home for a few weeks, sometimes even less. Amara loved being on tour but it was nice to get a break sometimes to come home and relax.

"While you're home you have to come with us on a gig. Catherine and I have one in a few days, it's for a family of Twos and the son is absolutely _in love_ with her. Though how could he not be, I mean Catherine's _so_ pretty and caring. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up married," Emilie had always been a romantic and she was so happy at the idea of Catherine dating a Two.

"You might be getting ahead of yourself, Emilie," Mackenzie said, "and Catherine can date whoever she wants regardless of caste so that doesn't matter."

"Yeah," Emilie agreed, "but wouldn't it be nice if she dated a Two?"

Mackenzie rolled her eyes at her middle daughter then turned and entered the kitchen to start dinner.

Emilie turned to Amara and grabbed her hand, "Come on," she said, "Maddie and I are filling out our forms, Catherine's helping and you can do yours too."

"Okay," Amara said. She'd wanted to enter the Selection anyway. She knew she wanted to enter when it was announced. Amara's goal in life was to find a place where she would be accepted unconditionally, and that wasn't going to happen here in Baffin. She'd never say it out loud, but she was eternally grateful the Saxtons hadn't thrown out her form.

Emilie and Amara made their way into the family room where Maddie and Catherine were arguing about something on the form.

"I'm telling you Maddie, your hair's _chestnut_ brown not caramel. _Emilie's_ is caramel brown yours is darker."

Maddie looked up when she heard Emilie come in but her brown eyes narrowed when she saw Amara.

"I see _you're_ back," she said with barely a glance at her.

Amara rolled her eyes, "I do live here, you know."

She followed Emilie over to the coffee table and took a seat on the floor. She ripped open her envelope and started reading through the letter that came with it.

"What are you _doing_ , Amaretta?" Maddie's sharp voice made Amara lose her place in the letter.

She glance up annoyed, "What does it look like, Madeline? I'm filling out my form for the Selection."

Maddie looked up at her shocked and outraged, and Amara took that moment to reach over and pluck the pen out of Maddie's limp fingers.

She got _Amaretta Jane_ scrawled out on the paper before Maddie ripped the pen from her grasp, leaving a long smudge of ink trailing across the form.

Amara smiled at her sweetly, "Do you mind? I was using that."

Maddie was at a loss for words, "But-but you _can't_. You can't enter."

"And just _why not_?!" Amara demanded.

"Because you _can't_! You're not part of this family and-"

"I may not be a member of _your_ family, Maddie, but I am a citizen of Illéa and the proper age for the Selection, and there's _nothing_ you can do to stop me from signing up," the venom in Amara's voice was something Maddie had never heard before. She huffed in derision before returning to her form.

"Just ignore her, Amara," Catherine said, "You have every right to enter the Selection."

Amara smiled, "Thanks, Catherine. Now what color should I say my eyes are?"

Catherine grinned, "Emerald green."

Amara grabbed a new pen and wrote it down.

As she went to add her last name she heard Maddie mutter, "You'd better not put Saxton on there because you're not one of us. You're a _Foster_."

The words stung but Amara ignored them and wrote down her information.

 _Name: Amaretta Jane Foster_

 _Age: 17_

 _Province: Baffin_

 _Caste: 7_

 _Occupation: Foster Child/Accompanist_

 _Hair color: Light Strawberry Blonde_

 _Eye color: Emerald Green_

 _Skin tone: Pale with dark freckles_

 _Height: 5'5_

 _Weight: 116_

 _Languages Spoken: English, Mandarin, fair Italian_

 _Hobbies: Listening to music, playing piano, guitar, viola, flute, clarinet, and french horn, exploring, dancing, running on the beach_

Amara looked over her form. As she looked at it she understood why Maddie didn't want her to enter. If you ignored her caste, she actually had quite a good shot of getting in. Her hobbies were good and she spoke three languages.

Emilie glanced over and saw that she was done.

"Amara, could you do my hair for the picture?" she asked, "I _really_ want to get in."

"Sure," Amara nodded. Growing up it had been just her and Emilie in the house for hours on end and the two had gotten quite good at doing hair, especially Amara.

The girls went into their bedroom to find outfits and change.

Emilie found a pastel pink skirt that she paired with a simple white shirt and denim jacket. She put on a pair of white heels that made her Amara's height and a tiny bit of makeup. Amara pulled Emilie's bangs into a lace braid headband and pinned the end behind her ear. She left the rest of Emilie's hair down long and curled. Emilie looked like a princess.

Amara went much simpler with her outfit. She wore a pair of dark skinny jeans with a simple white shirt similar to Emilie's. On top of that was a cream cardigan and a simple gold chain around her neck. She put on a pair of worn ankle boots with a small heel and pronounced herself good. Emilie took two strands of hair from either side of her face and waterfall braided them around her head and connected them in the back with the rest of her hair down long and straight. She didn't put on any makeup because there was really no point. She'd stopped trying to cover up freckles years ago and accepted that they'd never disappear.

They met Maddie at the front door and the three headed out to get their pictures taken.

They waited in line for hours, doing whatever they could to pass the time. Finally they reached the front of the line and Emilie went first, walking up to the man behind the camera with a big smile on her face.

As they watched her, Maddie leaned over to speak to Amara, "You know, if they didn't have these pictures you might actually have a shot of getting in. But once they see you there's no way you'll make it."

Amara had been thinking the same thing but she didn't want Maddie to know that she'd hurt her, "Well you may look pretty but if you made it in then as soon as you opened your mouth they'd send you straight back."

"Whatever Amaretta, at least I have a chance of making it there. You have _no_ shot," she sneered.

Amara knew that Maddie was right. Amara was fine with how she looked, but most other people weren't. Her crazy freckles and weird gold-green eyes were quite startling and a bit off putting. Her looks were the reason most people had trouble trusting her and a big part of the reason she got bounced from home to home before the Saxtons took her in. Though they mainly did it for the compensation they received for it, as Maddie like to remind her. They got an even bigger compensation than usual for Amara because no one seemed to want her. After twelve years they still hadn't adopted her and Amara knew they mainly kept her for the money. She wanted to be somewhere where she was loved unconditionally and for being herself, despite her off putting appearance.

Emilie finished her picture and walked out through a side door. She stayed and watched through the window, shooting Amara an encouraging smile.

Amara shook off Maddie's words as she handed in her form and sat down for her picture. The man got behind the camera and Amara knew this was her one chance. Her chance at a better life, a life where she could finally have happiness, a life where she actually belonged.

She looked at the camera and beamed.

...

"Natalie, come on, you're gonna miss it," Brooklyn called to her.

"That's okay," Natalie hollered back, "I don't like that show anyway."

"Yeah, Brook," Matthew added, " _you're_ the only one who likes it."

"Then why are we watching it?"

"Because you have the remote," Ryan chimed.

Everyone laughed and watched as Brook picked up the pillow behind her and threw it at Ryan's head. Ryan lazily reached out a hand and caught it in the air before turning and hurling it at Matthew. He missed and the pillow slammed into the side of Serenity's head.

"Hey!" Serenity yelled from her perch on Matthew's lap.

Matthew had to come to his wife's defense so he threw the pillow right back at Ryan. It hit him right in the face and they all agreed he deserved it.

Ryan saw Brandon laughing as he walked over to the couch to join them and threw the pillow at him. Brandon ducked and the pillow went right over his head, slamming into Natalie as she walked toward the rest of them. She'd just finished the batch of popcorn and the pillow knocked the bowl from her hands and sent it flying, spilling all of the greasy popcorn she'd spent her time working on.

" _Ryan_!" She yelled outraged, then looked at the mess, "Next time make it _yourself_!" She said and stomped over to the couch and sat down next to Brandon.

Ryan opened his mouth to retaliate but was quickly shushed by Brooklyn, "It's starting!"

Brook took the remote and turned the volume up so she could hear over her squabbling siblings.

The logo for Illéa's biggest gossip show, _Stars and Scandals,_ popped up on the screen and everyone but Brooklyn groaned. They had an after dinner ritual for everyday of the week. Since there were six of them they each got to pick a show every day except Friday. Friday they filmed the Report then went outside and usually played some type of sport to get out all of their pent up energy. That night was Thursday, Brook's night to pick, so they were watching a celebrity gossip show that none of them really liked.

On the television the camera cut to the host, a tall Indian girl with long dark hair and a passion for stirring up drama.

"Good evening, Illéa. Welcome to this week's episode of _Stars and Scandals_ , I'm your host Shevonne Ellington and let's jump right into the scandals.

Since the next few episodes will be dedicated to finding out more about the new Daughters of Illéa, we thought that tonight would be a good episode to focus on the royal family."

All five of them groaned and started complaining to Brook.

"We don't need to watch this."

"They're just gonna complain about us, we don't need to hear this."

"Turn it off, Brook, it's _stupid_."

She shushed them all and kept her gaze glued to the screen, "I just _love_ her dress," she turned to her sister, "Nat isn't it gorgeous? Although if one of us wore it that would be considered a scandal, but I wish I could wear it."

Brandon was glad that Brook would never get to wear it. He'd seen girls in far less and much more revealing dresses, but still Shevonne in her short tight metallic gold dress that didn't leave much to the imagination had his ears red and his head down to avoid looking at her. If Brook or Natalie ever wore that there would surely be so many scandalous stories that nothing else would be talked about for months. Brandon would definitely never be able to talk to a girl in a dress like that without burning from embarrassment.

Natalie ignored her sister and Brook turned her attention back to the television.

Shevonne was currently interviewing the show's palace correspondent, an "expert" on all things royal, even though nobody in the royal family had ever met him. They were currently discussing all of the marriage offers Natalie was sure to receive and which one would be the most beneficial to the country. Natalie didn't care and she kept a constant stream of chatter in Brandon's ear, distracting him from the show.

Brandon heard his name and shushed Natalie then tuned his ears to the TV to hear what they said about him.

"I just don't know that Prince Brandon is ready to handle a Selection at this point. Nobody in the country really knows him and will it really help things? If the people don't feel connected to him then they won't care about his Selection," the correspondent said.

"But," Shevonne argued, "couldn't you also say that a Selection is the _best_ way to get to know him. The people can get to know him as the Selected do and understand him more."

"That's true. I guess we'll just have to wait until the Selection begins and see what it does for Prince Brandon's standings with the country, although there's really no way it could make them worse."

Brandon felt the eyes of all his siblings on him and he looked up to face him. None of them knew what to say to him. He'd just been told that the country hated him and didn't even want to see him go through a Selection.

Everyone turned back to the television when they started talking about Ryan.

"Prince Brandon may not be the people's favorite, but we all know who is the favorite bachelor. We have an exclusive source that told us all about Prince Ryan and the latest girl who fell victim to him."

The camera cut to show Shevonne and a short brunette, who Ryan had never seen before. She began describing how she'd worked in the palace as a maid, until Ryan seduced her, then broke her heart and fired her. None of that was true, the girl was just seeking her fifteen minutes of fame, but she was very convincing.

Shevonne faced the camera, "I for one am appalled that this sort of behavior is allowed to happen in our country, and from the royal family no less. Will there ever be a girl who's able to tame Illéa's playboy prince?" she asked. She made a dramatic gesture with her hands, "And stay tuned. After the break we have our final story that's _sure_ to shock you."

As soon as the show went on break Brook turned to Ryan, "Did you really do that?" She demanded.

He just shrugged in a noncommittal way, "It's so hard to keep track."

Brandon snorted, knowing the truth, and Brook turned her glare on him, "Do you think that's _funny_?"

He shook his head and opened his mouth, but was stopped when he saw Ryan frantically shaking his head at him. Matthew and Brandon were the only ones who knew the truth about Ryan, and it seemed he wanted to keep it that way. They were the only two who knew the real reason he didn't want to have a Selection and the fact that he wasn't a player after all. They knew everything but didn't tell anyone, for Ryan's sake. He'd asked them not to and he still wasn't ready to face the truth from two years ago so his brothers kept quiet. He didn't know if he'd ever be ready to tell anyone.

Brook was about to retort when the show came back, so she settled for throwing one more glare at her two brothers before turning back to the show.

"The last royal we'll talk about today is everyone's favorite Daughter of Illéa, Princess Serenity."

The show had a different reporter come on and they showed footage that was taken at the latest royal event. Serenity refusing a glass of wine and opting for water instead. Then a side by side comparison of her from a few months ago and recently. Her dresses now were much looser, a small effort to try and hide her ever-growing bump. The reporter talked about how lately Serenity had been sick and much more tired than usual. She speculated about her being pregnant, but nothing was confirmed yet.

The camera cut back to Shevonne for the closing, "So Princess Serenity is pregnant. . . or she's just getting fat. Maybe the stress from the last few years is finally catching up to her and she's gaining weight from binge eating. Either way the royal baby watch is officially on. Don't forget to watch our special Friday showing after the Report next week where we'll discuss the chosen Daughters of Illéa and you'll get the first look at all of our prospective princesses. I'm Shevonne Ellington and this was _Stars and Scandals_."

The show was over and Brook turned the TV off.

Matthew smiled at his wife, "Looks like they caught you, Wren."

Serenity self-consciously looked down at her stomach, "I'm not that big, am I?"

Matthew wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him, then rested his hands on her bump, "You're still beautiful to me," he placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

"That's sweet," she said, "but you didn't answer the question."

The others rolled their eyes and started leaving. They knew that those two would go on for hours.

Brandon was walking out of the theater when he felt someone come up behind him. He turned and saw Ryan and waited for him to catch up.

"Hey," Ryan said, "Thanks for not ratting me out back there."

Brandon didn't look at him when he answered, "You'll have to tell them eventually, Ryan."

"I know, but just not yet. I'm not ready."

"Will you ever be ready?" Brandon demanded, "They're your family, they deserve to know the truth and who you really are."

"I _know_ , Brandon, and they will. . . someday," Ryan turned on Brandon, "And what about _you_? In a week thirty five girls will be Selected for you. You'll have to get married. You're going to have no say in your future. Is that really what you want, Brandon?"

"Ryan, it's not about what _I_ want it's about what's best for the country, and if me having a Selection will appease the rebels and save lives then I have to do that, regardless of what I want. _I_ don't matter, Illéa does. As a prince I have to do what's best for my country, you of all people should know that," Brandon turned and walked away from his brother as fast as he could. Ryan didn't follow him.

All the way up to the third floor Brandon replayed Ryan's words over in his head. No, he didn't want to have a Selection, but it needed to happen. Was he ready? That was a question he couldn't answer. It didn't matter whether he was ready because the Selection would happen regardless of that. As soon as Brandon thought that he knew, he was not ready for a Selection and he had only a week to prepare.

...

 **Amara was made by 4Love4Love4 and Shevonne by LadyAnj**

 **What is Ryan hiding? Hmmmmm I know, but you guys will just have to wait.**

 **I only have seven spots left so get your characters in! If I don't get enough I'll fill in the extra spaces with names so that the Selection can start. Next chapter will probably be the last intro and then I'll have the Report and the reveal of all the girls.**

 **Who's POV would you like to see for the Report? I'll have the Prince but what girls would you like to see?**

 **Who do you want to be Main characters? I'll put a poll on my profile once the SYOC is closed so you can vote but I want to know who you guys like best now.**

 **If you're submitting characters then I want more Fours, Fives, and Sixes. I'll even do Eights if you guys want to make some.**

 **Also, when you review it makes me want to write more and get the chapters out. The people who constantly review will probably see more of their characters because I know that they're reading the story and invested in it. If you submit a character but never review don't be surprised if they're eliminated early.**

 **Hopefully I didn't scare you all off. I hope you all have an awesome New Year's and a great 2016! You guys are all so amazing!**

 **Love you!**

 **~Jen**


	7. You Never Know

**Oh my gosh guys, thank you so so so much for all of the support last chapter. You guys are so amazing. Thanks to everyone who reviewed** Elmer's glue, Lilla, Cookiedoodles168, PercyjacksonRxs, .just. , XOStarbrightXO, LadyAnj, wolfofstark, Demigod18, 4Love4Love4 (x2), thirteenth17 (x3), PrincessDream, ApolloSerenity (x3), SolarisEclipse77, LeaGirlWriter22 (x7) let me say that again 7!, and lizcalixto65.

 **Okay so the SYOC is officially closed! Yay! Thanks so much to everyone who submitted a character and for those who I couldn't accept I'm sorry and I appreciate you making them and sorry I didn't have room for them. This will be the last chapter of intros and next chapter will be the Report. Hope you guys like it!**

 **...**

 **Cosmina Dragomir**

" _En garde_ ," Cosmina told her opponent.

" _Pret_ ," she responded, telling Cosmina that she was ready. Usually a judge would be the one preparing them but since it was just practice Cosmina and her opponent, Shelby Wilson, were doing it themselves.

The two girls stared at each other for a moment before simultaneously yelling, " _Allez_ ," so the match could begin.

Cosmina smiled. She knew she could beat Shelby, she wasn't nearly as good as Cosmina.

Cosmina immediately launched into the offensive and swung at Shelby, thinking that she was sure to hit her. She was shocked when Shelby managed to parry the strike and even more shocked when Shelby executed a _reposte_ and struck at her.

Cosmina's smile grew. _Finally_ a challenge, _finally_ Shelby was putting up some sort competition against her. Cosmina's attacks became faster and her defense stronger. Soon the two were a blinding whirlwind of steel and a crowd had gathered to watch them. Shelby and Cosmina exchanged blows, dancing across the arena, neither able to get a touch and finish the match.

The three minute time limit was nearly up and neither girl had gotten close to touching the other with her sword. Cosmina became more determined. She would _not_ lose to Shelby.

With her newfound determination, Cosmina went after Shelby one last time. She struck again and again, pushing Shelby back and giving her no time to retaliate.

Shelby took a step back too fast. She tripped over her own feet and stood there for a moment, wobbling, trying to regain her balance. Cosmina took advantage of this to finish her off, using her sword to give her a solid tap right in the middle of the chest. That was all it took to make Shelby lose her balance completely and go tumbling to the ground.

Cosmina was greeted by a round of applause. She smiled beneath her helmet, not wanting Shelby to feel bad. Cosmina _loved_ winning a match. It made her feel like she was doing something right and that she deserved to be there.

She pulled her helmet off and tucked it under her arm before she changed sword hands and reached down to help Shelby up.

Shelby yanked her helmet off and glared up at Cosmina, not taking her hand.

The two stared at each other before Cosmina rolled her blue eyes and dropped her hand. Shelby pushed herself off the ground and stalked away. Cosmina resisted the urge to roll her eyes again.

She went into the changing room and stripped off her fencing gear before pulling on a comfy pair of sweats and a maroon T-shirt. Her dark hair was still in her messy french braid but now it was full of sweat. Cosmina didn't care and emerged from the locker room and headed straight for the door, eager to get home.

On her way out she passed Shelby and a group of people who were all talking. They stared at her as she passed.

Cosmina avoided their gazes and kept her head down as she walked to the door. She was stopped by a tap on her shoulder and she started, expecting it to be Shelby.

She turned around and found herself facing a handsome boy that she recognized from training. She thought his name was Jake.

Jake smiled at her, "You did really good today, Cosmina."

She smiled back, "Thanks."

They stood for a moment in awkward silence, Cosmina not sure what he wanted.

Then a voice from Shelby's group called out at them, "Give it up, Jake. She's just gonna say no."

Another voice added, "She doesn't date _anyone_. Nobody here is good enough for her."

And then Shelby, "Nobody is worthy of the _great_ Cosmina Dragomir. Not even the Prince. She's not entering the Selection. You're not worth the time of day to her."

Jake looked at her, hurt, "Is that true?"

Cosmina tried to hold in her tears, "I have to go," she said and turned around to march out the doors.

The whole way home she tried not to cry. Did they really think she was that stuck up and proud? They wouldn't if they knew the truth, but Cosmina wasn't going to tell them.

She'd only lived in Illéa for three years, and in that time she hadn't dated anyone. Most people assumed she just had high standards, but it was so much more than that.

Back in Romania, everything had been perfect. Cosmina had a best friend and a boyfriend, a _perfect_ boyfriend. Gabriel was everything to her and she was everything to him. They were so happy together, but of course it couldn't last. One night as Gabriel was driving Cosmina and her best friend, Crina, home, he was hit by a drunk driver. The driver slammed into the driver's side of Gabriel's car, killing Gabriel and Crina, who was in the backseat, instantly. Cosmina only survived because she was on the other side of the vehicle. Though she kept her life, she was wracked with survivor's guilt and most days wished she had died instead. Three years later and she still wasn't over it. Nightmares filled with Crina's screams and shattered glass, along with Gabriel's corpse still haunted her. There was no way she would date anyone else when Gabriel still had her heart. It was impossible. But those stupid jerks at the training center didn't know any of that, so they just made backhanded comments at her because she was a better fencer than them.

Cosmina reached her house and tried to paste a smile on her face, knowing that her brothers wouldn't see beneath it.

She swung open the front door and was greeted by her three best friends, Jennifer Adams-soon to be her sister-in-law, Sally Morgan- her older brother's girlfriend, and Jaquie Pierce- her twin brother's girlfriend.

The three saw right through her mask and were on her as soon as she shut the door.

"Cosmina what happened?" said Sally.

"What's wrong?" Jacquie asked.

"Your face is all red, _don't_ tell me you've been crying," that was Jen.

Cosmina laughed in spite of herself, "Nothing's wrong, I'm fine."

Jennifer snorted at that, "Clearly everything's _not_ fine, so why don't we skip all that and you can just tell me who's butt I need to go kick."

"You don't have to kick anyone's butt, Jen, but I could use your help with something," she paused, "I want to sign up for the Selection."

All three of them gasped. Cosmina had spent the past week saying how stupid the Selection was and that she'd never enter it.

"But, why?" Sally asked, "You were so opposed to it yesterday."

Cosmina thought before she replied, "I just decided it would be good for me. It would show people that I'm not a stuck up, prideful, spoiled brat."

"Whoa, hold up," Jaquie said, "What do you mean by _that_? Who the heck is telling you that, because clearly they don't know you."

"All I can say, is that whoever they are, they better be prepared for World War Sally, Jen and Jacquie," Sally told her.

"Who are they though? Pray tell cause I'm itching to start a fight," Jaquie got a glint in her eye and Cosmina knew that she wasn't joking.

"Don't say it, because if you're not going to confess it willingly, that means we have to beat it out of you, and you know I'm into the whole torture thing. It's how I roll." Jennifer smiled sweetly at her, like she hadn't just threatened to beat her up.

Sally rolled her eyes, "Way to sound reassuring, Jen."

"It's nobody," Cosmina said, "just some girls at the training center. That's only _partly_ why I'm doing it though. I think it's time to move on. It's what Gabriel would have wanted," her heart ached as she said the words but she knew they were true, "I'm signing up with or without your help, I just would prefer it with."

The three girls exchanged looks before nodding.

"Go get your form, Cosmina," Jen said, "Prince Brandon's not gonna know what hit him."

...

 **Anya Emerson**

Anya turned to look at the little girl next to her, a blonde version of herself, "Keep watch for me Kenzie, okay?"

Kenzie nodded before turning and trotting to the end of the alley, where she peered out at the pedestrians with laser focus.

Anya smiled at her little sister before turning to the trash can in front of her to continue rummaging through it.

She tore through the top layers of paper and wrappers easily, leaving them in a messy heap behind her. When she got to the next layer, which was slimy and gross she let out a frustrated sigh. Anything underneath that they wouldn't be able to salvage.

Her stomach let out an unhappy gurgle as it realized that it wasn't about to be fed. Anya hadn't eaten in two days and her stomach was cramping horribly. She needed to have food, and more than that, _Kenzie_ needed food.

Anya looked at Kenzie, who turned and waved at her big sister before returning her attention to the street.

Anya smiled and moved on to the next trash can with newfound determination. She would do _anything_ for Kenzie, including look through trash cans to find her a meal. In her mind, Kenzie was all that mattered, and Anya would sacrifice anything to take care of her.

Kenzie was the reason they were Eights, but Anya didn't blame her at all. It wasn't Kenzie's fault that she'd been born a mute. If anyone was to blame it was their parents. They'd wanted to throw Kenzie out when she was seven because she'd never be able to work and make money. In a family of Fives with only four people Kenzie's disability shouldn't have been a problem, but their parents refused to even try and help her. Instead they planned to kick her out and let her fend for herself. Anya, who was twelve at the time, refused to let that happen. She'd taken Kenzie and run away, giving them the life of Eights, but at least they were together. That was what mattered.

Anya turned again to check on Kenzie, but she _wasn't there_. Anya began running through a list of what could have happened. Her mind jumped to the worst conclusion that Kenzie had been kidnapped. She couldn't call out for help, but Anya should have noticed her. Or she'd wandered off looking for something. Whatever it was, Kenzie was gone. It was Anya's job to watch out for Kenzie, and she'd failed.

Anya sprinted to the end of the alley and nearly collided with something solid.

She sprang back and put her fists up, ready to fight her attacker. Once she actually looked at him she lowered her hands.

"Alex, thank goodness. Have you seen Kenzie? I can't find her." Her words were laced with panic.

He just smiled and looked down.

Kenzie's blonde head appeared behind him and she grinned up at Anya.

Anya jumped on her sister, "Kenzie! Don't you ever do that again!" She pulled her into a hug, "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

Kenzie hugged her back for a minute before squirming away. She ran over to the pile of trash Anya had collected in her search.

"Kenz, get away from that, it's _filthy_ ," Anya ordered.

Alex spoke for the first time, "She'll be fine," then he smiled at Anya, "I brought you something."

Anya protested before he'd even said what it was, "Alex I can't take it. You and you're family have already given us enough."

When Kenzie and Anya had first been on the streets they had nothing and didn't know how to survive. They would have died if they hadn't found the Smiths. The family of Eights had accepted the girls without question and did everything they could to help them out. Anya and Kenzie were forever in their debt.

Alex ignored her protests, reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. He held them out to her as an offering.

Anya refused to take them.

"Come on, Anya," he said, "It's just a few bucks. I stole it from some Three on the street. This is just a little bit, my family's keeping most of it."

"Your family should keep _all_ of it." Anya retorted.

"Would you quit being so stubborn?" Alex demanded, "If you won't take it for yourself at least take it for _her_ ," he pointed a finger at Kenzie.

He knew that would work and Anya accepted the money without looking at him.

A noise from Kenzie made both of them look at her. She was still sitting on the ground but she'd kicked a trash can to get their attention.

Alex and Anya walked over to her and Kenzie proudly held up what she'd found, a crumpled and dirty envelope.

Anya accepted it and could tell immediately that it was no ordinary envelope. It was made of thick, creamy paper, and when she flipped it over she saw the royal seal on the back.

"What is it?" Anya wondered.

Alex plucked it out of her hand and examined it too, "To me it looks like an application for the Selection."

"Really?" Anya snatched it back and ripped open the seal.

Though she couldn't read every word, she got the gist of it and saw that Alex was right. She glanced at the form part and was relieved when she could understand all of the questions.

"Do you have anything to write with?" she asked Alex. To herself she murmured, "Why would _anyone_ throw this away?"

"Why?" he wondered, but he began digging through his pockets anyway, "You're not going to enter, are you?"

He found something and triumphantly offered her the tiniest nub of a pencil.

Anya grabbed it and informed him, "Of course I'm entering. I'm not going to waste this opportunity. If I get in then they pay me and I'll be a Three. That'll be plenty of money for Kenzie and I to live the rest of our lives happily."

Anya took the form gently in her hands and slowly began to write.

 _Name: Anya Celestia Emerson_

 _Age: 16_

 _Province: Lakedon_

 _Caste: 8_

 _Occupation: None_

 _Hair color: Light Brown_

 _Eye color: Bright Green_

 _Skin tone: Pale with freckles_

 _Height: 5'5_

 _Weight: 108_

 _Languages Spoken: English and Swendish_

 _Hobbies: Running, grooming horses, collecting things, reading, writing_

Alex snorted at her last ones, "Anya, you're practically illiterate. You don't read or write."

"But I think I'd like it if I got the chance so I'm putting it on there. It's my form, not yours."

Alex rolled his eyes but didn't say anything else.

Anya looked her form over one more time. Her handwriting wasn't good, but it was legible and that's all she could ask for. She didn't think she had a good shot of getting in, she barely had any chance at all, but she was going to take it. The Selection was hope, and Anya wasn't going to let that get away.

...

 **Colleen Barrett**

"Quiet on the set!" someone yelled.

Once everything was as it should be the director yelled, "Action."

Colleen watched from the side as her best friend, Aliyah Pernouce sauntered into the scene.

Colleen had to laugh as she watched Aliyah get so into character. Aliyah was dramatic already, but when she was acting she took it to a whole new level. Especially for this series. Aliyah was playing a young princess in these movies. It was based on a book series by a famous young adult author, Flara Blakes. Colleen had never read it, but everyone said it was really good. The series was called _Secrets and Lies of Royals_ and was quite the scandal when it came out, but people ate it up. Soon the books were headed to the big screen under the shortened title _The Royals_. Aliyah was soon hired to play the lead, a role which she loved.

Someone walked up to Colleen at her spot amidst the food. She smiled and handed them a cup of the best coffee on the planet, the special brew served only at her sisters restaurant in Ottaro, _The Coffee Bean_. She tightened her chocolate brown ponytail before turning her blue eyes back to the scene.

Colleen had been the caterer for the movie for years now and everyone knew who she was. Her coffee was legendary around the set and Colleen loved that she got to spend her days away from her sister and her sister's family. It wasn't that Colleen didn't like her sister, but lately she'd realized that thirteen years was a big age difference and that her sister didn't like always having to watch out for her. She'd rather watch out for her own daughter and have Colleen live somewhere else, but since Colleen wasn't eighteen yet that couldn't happen.

Colleen wasn't sure what she would do once the filming was done. They'd been filming in Ottaro for years and Colleen didn't want to think about what would happen when they were done and Aliyah went back to Angeles.

Suddenly Aliyah appeared at the table, as if Colleen's thoughts had summoned her.

"Hey," Aliyah greeted her friend.

"Hey," Colleen answered.

"So we're done filming for the day and I was wondering if you had any plans?"

Colleen laughed. She never had plans and Aliyah knew it.

"Good," Aliyah said, "then I was thinking it's time for you to apply for the Selection."

Colleen laughed even harder at that.

"I don't see what's so funny." Aliyah said, "Since we're from different provinces we can _both_ enter and be chosen. We'll both go to the palace and we can hang out every single day. I already know what we can wear and our rooms will be right next to each other. We'll have the time of our lives, but for that to happen you have to _sign up_."

Colleen rolled her eyes at her friends antics, "Yeah, well that's easy for you to say. You're one of the most famous actresses in the country, of course you're going to get in, but I'm just some nobody Four from Ottaro. What chance do I have?"

Aliyah reached into her purse and pulled out a form, sliding it across the table to Colleen, "You never know until you try."

Colleen gripped it in her hand then sighed and grabbed the pen from Aliyah's outstretched hand.

She put the tip on the paper, _You never know_ , she thought.

...

 **Cosmina was the work of LeaGirlWriter22**

 **Anya was made by Demigod18**

 **Colleen was created by LadyAnj**

 **Sooooooo what'd ya think? Leave me a review and let me know. Hope you guys liked it and liked all of the characters I introduced. The Report with the girls will be next chapter so for those of you who still have provinces reserved try and get them to me as soon as possible.**

 **Let me know who's POV you'd like to see for the Report. I'm gonna have at least one of the twins (remember them?) and one from Brandon, but the rest are up to you guys. Let me know in a review who you want to hear from.**

 **Thank you guys for all the support you give this story, it's seriously incredible. When I decided to write this I never thought I would make it this far or that I would have so many awesome characters submitted that I'd have to turn some away, you guys are truly the best!**

 **Love you lots,**

 **~Jen**


	8. The Selected Revealed

**Hey guys! This is it! The Report is finally here, we get to see all of the Selected! Huge thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter XOStarbrightXO, .just. , Cookiedoodles168, 4Love4Love4, Elmers glue, Demigod18, and wolfofstark. There's a poll on my profile where you can vote for the main characters, so go do that. The POVs for this chapter are Kadence, Zinnia, Priya, Miami, and Brandon. Hope you guys like it!**

 **...**

 **Kadence Reynolds**

"Hey, Kady, come in here," her dad called from the kitchen.

"But Dad, the Report's about to start," she hollered back.

On the television screen, the royal family was already there and the king was making some announcement. The part that Kadence, and everyone else for that matter, really wanted to see would be right after.

"Kadence, it's supper time, the food will get cold. I hardly ever get to eat with you and I spent all this money to get takeout because I know it's your favorite. The Report is on every week but I don't get to see you very often. Do you really want to stay glued to that screen anyway?" her dad could be very persuasive when he wanted to but it was the prospect of mu shu pork that made Kadence stand up and drag herself into the kitchen.

The food smelled amazing, it was her favorite and her dad had gotten it just for her. She turned the volume up on the television before she left the room then grabbed a plate and began dishing up.

Her dad smiled at her, his brown eyes crinkling, "I missed you, Kadence. Maybe next time you could come with me, like you used to when you were little. I know Waverly's far away but it's really pretty," he paused before speaking again, "there's actually someone out there I'd like you to meet. I think you'll really like her."

Kadence snorted at that, " _Don't_ tell me you've got a girlfriend out there and that's why you're always gone."

"Not exactly, you know you're the only girl I'll ever need, but I still want you to meet her."

Kadence tuned her dad out as she heard the King finish his announcement and the Master of Events came up onstage. The Master of Events announced the man who would be in charge of all things Selection related, David Fadaye. His family had been the bridge between the royals and the public for generations and David was very good at his job.

She heard him introduce the royal family and then heard them talking.

"You need to follow your heart," Princess Serenity said, "I know the title of princess may seem cool, but the Selection is so much more than that. If you win it's for the rest of your life. It's not just about seeing who could be the best princess, the Selection is about love. If you're just in it for the title or crown then prepare yourself, the rest of your life is a long time to be acting."

David nodded at her words then went over to the other princes. Kadence heard Matthew talk about not eliminating girls for spur of the moment things and making sure before getting rid of someone. Ryan said something about sharing with him but Kadence didn't hear because her dad was repeating her name.

"Sorry, what?" she asked.

"I said, how about next weekend? Do you want to come to Waverly with me?"

"Oh uh sure," she answered, still not really paying attention.

David went over to Prince Brandon, at least Kadence assumed it was Brandon. She could only see about half the screen, but he was the only prince that had inherited their mother's blue eyes and that was what she saw along with his dark hair.

"So Your Majesty, I think all of Illéa is wondering what you're looking for in this Selection. What do hope to get out of it?"

Brandon chuckled. Kadence thought he had a nice laugh. She liked listening to it.

"Well obviously I'm looking for a wife. That's the whole point of the Selection, to find a wife and someone who I can spend the rest of my life with. But more than that I'm looking for someone who can help broaden my horizons. I've spent my whole life in the palace and I'm looking forward to meeting these ladies from all over Illéa who can help me learn more about our great nation. Other than that I'm not sure what I'm looking for, but I have a feeling I'll discover it along the way," he smiled at the end of it and it seemed like his family agreed.

"Very true, Your Majesty. We all look forward to discovering with you, in fact now it's time to start this journey because here are the thirty five lovely Daughters of Illéa," as David finished his speech the screen changed. Kadence was able to see all of Brandon's face but it was in a small box in the corner of the screen. The rest was given to David, but Kadence was sure it was about to show the Selected's faces.

"Without further adieu, the thirty five Daughters of Illéa for the ninth Selection.

Miss Juliet O'Shea of Hansport, Five," Kadence craned her neck to try and see more of the girl but all she could tell was that she had strawberry blonde hair and pretty green eyes. Brandon smiled.

" _Kadence_ ," her father said sternly, "I'm trying to have an important conversation with you and you're completely ignoring me. Don't make me turn off the television."

Onscreen David continued with the names, "Miss Aria Benoit of Waverly, Five."

Kadence missed what Aria looked like, all she saw was a bit of dark brown hair and Brandon's same smile before her father was standing in front of her with his arms crossed.

" _Please_ , Dad," Kadence begged, "I just want to see the Selected, it'll take five minutes, and then we can talk."

"Miss Yorra Weston of Paloma, Seven."

Kadence leaned around her dad and was able to make out a shockingly bright blue eye surrounded by dark hair before the picture flashed off the screen.

"Kadence, this is really important," her dad looked at her with his disappointed gaze but Kadence tried to ignore it.

"Miss Aurora Bennett of Carolina, Three." All Kadence could see of Aurora was springy blonde curls, but Brandon's smile grew so she must have been pretty.

"Miss Kennedy O'Brian of Dominica, Two." Kadence saw a few wisps of black hair before her dad blocked her vision again.

"Miss Tristyn Westfall of Belcourt, Six." A girl with raven hair and pretty green eyes popped up and Brandon kept his smile on his face.

"I wish you would listen to me," her dad sounded hurt and Kadence felt a twinge of guilt, but it was overpowered by her curiosity.

Kadence glanced up at her dad and answered, "I will, Dad. I promise. But can it please wait just five minutes?" Kadence looked at him pleadingly.

Her dad sighed, "Fine, but we're talking right after."

"Deal," Kadence said. She jumped up from her chair and gave her dad a quick hug before sprinting into the living room.

She got there just in time and was greeted by her own face up on the screen, her shy smile and big brown eyes looked down on her.

"Miss Kadence Reynolds of Fennley, Four." Brandon's smile mirrored hers in the picture and Kadence felt her own face break into a grin.

" _KADENCE JOY REYNOLDS_!" she heard her father scream from the kitchen, "You have some explaining to do."

She winced at her father's tone but kept her smile. She was in the Selection. Her adventure was finally beginning, and nothing was going to change that.

...

 **Zinnia Larrson**

Zinnia sat on the couch in the break room of the Carmichael's mansion, surrounded by her five best friends. Being a maid wasn't her ideal life, but she was content enough. The Carmichaels treated their staff well and Zinnia had worked there for nearly eight years. The Carmichaels had even given tonight off for all of the girls who had entered the Selection.

People, mainly staff, were milling about all over the room, and you could easily tell the difference between the girls who'd entered and those who hadn't. Everyone who had entered was glued to the edge of their seat, staring at the television and waiting, while the others in the room casually chatted and glanced up at the Report every once in a while.

Zinnia and her friends had claimed the best seats in the room, the couch right by the television so that they could watch. Even though the couch was only meant to seat three, the six girls were skinny and managed to squeeze on, even if Elise had to sit on the arm.

Zinnia was right in the middle with quiet, reserved Isabelle on her left and bubbly, talkative Erin on her right. Aislynn was between Elise and Isabelle and Lauren was on the other end of the couch next to her sister, Erin. Zinnia could hear all of her friends, though Erin was by far the loudest and easiest to converse with. Right now she was keeping up a constant stream of commentary about the Selected in Zinnia's ear.

"Miss Grayson Chandler of Midston, Two."

"Ooh, she's pretty," Erin said. Zinnia had to agree, with her long light blonde hair and bright blue eyes Grayson was beautiful, and it looked like Brandon agreed.

"Miss Cosmina Dragomir of Atlin, Two."

Cosmina was pretty too with really dark hair and dark blue eyes.

"Miss Taylor Lawrence of Bankston, Two."

"Oh, _not_ her!" Erin exclaimed. Taylor was the star of some reality TV show that the Carmichael twins watched, and all the maids had been in the room when the show was on and seen how crazy Taylor could be.

"Maybe she's just a really good actress," Zinnia offered, "maybe she has a nice personality."

Erin snorted, "Not likely."

Prince Brandon didn't seem to like her much either, she was pretty in the typical way with long blonde hair and ice blue eyes, but it seemed like she was trying just a bit too hard.

"Miss Blaise Larkin of Yukon, Four."

" _Oh my gosh_!" Zinnia exclaimed and flinched into Isabelle a bit. Isabelle smiled at her and Erin chuckled.

Blaise was intense, that was really the only way to describe her emotionless, calculating gaze. Zinnia supposed Blaise was pretty with her dark brown hair and eyes, but Zinnia couldn't get over her gaze and the way she felt like prey beneath those hard eyes. Zinnia missed what Brandon's reaction was.

"Miss Ember Quinn of Clermont, Two."

"I _love_ her music!" Erin said excitedly.

Zinnia nodded but said, "It seems like there's a _lot_ of Twos,"

"Yeah and it looks like the Prince agrees," Erin whispered back.

It was true, Brandon was smiling at the pretty freckled red-haired girl, but his eyes didn't shine like they had for some of the previous girls, like Kadence, Aurora, or Juliet.

"Zuni's coming up!" Aislynn squealed from the other side of Isabelle.

"We _know_ ," Elise said with a smile.

Zinnia had an idea, "Guys, let's be happy. No matter what."

"What do you mean?" Aislynn wondered.

"No matter who's picked. Whether it's one of us or not, let's be happy. Let's be happy _especially_ if it's one of us. No anger and _no_ jealousy."

"Fine by me," Isabelle said. They all knew she didn't really want to get in, she'd just applied because they all had. Zinnia' suggestion was mainly directed at herself, Aislynn, and Erin. Those three wanted to be Selected more than anything. They all knew Elise wanted to get in as well, she just didn't say it like Aislynn and Erin did.

"I think that's a great idea," Lauren said. Lauren was just barely young enough to apply and wanted to be Selected as well, but they all knew that even without Zinnia's suggestion Lauren would never have been jealous of any of them.

Erin didn't say anything and it took an elbow from Lauren before she rolled her eyes and said, " _Fine_."

Lauren held out her hand to her sister and Erin grabbed it before reaching out and pulling Zinnia's hand into her other. Zinnia grabbed Isabelle's hand and soon the six girls were connected, hanging on to each other and not wanting to let go.

"Miss Vanessa Waltaz of St. George, Three."

Zinnia hardly registered the dark skinned beauty on the screen. She was focused only on the hand Erin was squeezing and doing the same to Isabelle's.

"We're next," someone said and Zinnia became aware of everyone in the room holding their breath, waiting to see who the lucky girl would be and if it was anyone they knew.

It seemed like an eternity before Vanessa's picture disappeared and David spoke, "Miss Zinnia Larrson of Zuni, Six."

The room around her exploded into cheers and Zinnia was crushed by all of her friends as they hugged her. She knew that soon she would be in the palace, but at that moment, surrounded by her friends, she couldn't think of a single place she'd rather be.

...

 **Priya Prepenstone**

Priya sighed and relaxed back into her chair, closing her blue eyes. Today was the first day she'd taken off in a month, and she needed it. Her mother was always getting on her about slowing down and taking breaks, but Priya just couldn't do it. She had to be doing things and helping people, when she wasn't she just didn't feel like she had a purpose. Tomorrow she would be right back at the palace working. Priya was a politician, and because her adoptive mother was the Mayor of Angeles, Priya had pretty much grown up in the palace. Now she was an advisor in training, and she knew that once Prince Matthew became king she would be promoted to a full advisor. Priya had enjoyed her day off but she was looking forward to getting back to work.

She'd kept her eyes closed for most of the Report, knowing all of the announcements beforehand. She'd only opened them to look at a few of the Selected. She figured she should try to learn them since they would be guests in her workplace for the foreseeable future.

"Miss Everly Castle of Hundston, Three."

Priya opened her eyes and appraised the girl. She had pretty enough strawberry blonde hair but her face was round, almost childlike and she seemed to have a fuller figure than most of the girls who'd been announced already.

"Miss Monica Hamilton of Honduragua, Five."

Priya actually winced at Monica's picture. Monica's face made Everly's look delicate by comparison. Her smile was wide but her teeth were incredibly crooked and her hair looked like it hadn't been washed in months. Brandon agreed and his small smile disappeared completely and he grimaced.

"Miss Seraphina Casteel of Likely, Seven."

Seraphina was gorgeous, she definitely didn't look like a Seven with her blue eyes and pretty brown hair. She looked especially good coming after Monica, and Brandon beamed.

Priya's mother, Angelina, entered the room and saw what Priya was watching, "Appraising the new Selected?" she asked.

Priya smiled and nodded, "I'll have to deal with them for the next few months so I might as well learn who they are."

Angelina and Priya returned their attention to the screen as Davis announced the next girl, "Miss Adela Hargrove of Sonage, Two."

"She looks a bit like you," Angelina said.

Priya looked and saw that she was right. Adela was a bit lighter than Priya but the two were both Indian with blue eyes, though Priya's were a much deeper blue. Adela's hair was also a few shades lighter than Priya's jet black strands but otherwise the two could have been sisters.

"Who do you think will get chosen from Angeles?" Priya wondered. The capitol was filled with talented and pretty girls and a Two was sure to be chosen.

"I don't know," Angelina mused, "Why didn't you want to enter?" she asked her daughter.

Priya shrugged, "It's just not my thing. I'd rather be helping to make a difference in the country than parading around in pretty dresses for months."

Onscreen the girls continued, "Miss Colleen Barrett of Ottaro, Four."

A pretty girl with dark hair and blue eyes popped up and Brandon kept his smile.

"It seems like there's a lot of girls with dark hair and blue eyes, don't you think?" Priya wondered, "If Olympia gets in that's another one." Priya was talking about her best friend who had jabbered on about the Selection for weeks.

"Speaking of Olympia, there's something I need to tell you," her mother said.

"Miss Scarlet Drapeau of Whites, Three." A girl with auburn hair and dull hazel eyes popped up.

"What?" Priya asked but was interrupted by David.

"From our very own Angeles, Miss Priya Prepenstone, Two." Ryan wolf whistled. He whistled at her! It wasn't even his Selection and she hadn't even entered.

Priya's face turned bright red, but whether it was from anger or embarrassment she wasn't sure. She gaped at the screen and her mouth kept opening and closing like a fish. Only one word came out, "How?"

"Well," Angelina started, "Olympia came to me and said that you wanted to enter but didn't have the time, so I pulled some strings and got your form in. I'm sorry, sweetie. I honestly thought this was what you wanted, but now at least you can have a short break and relax for a bit."

Priya just shook her head, still dumbfounded. The only thing she could think was that the next time she saw Olympia, she would kill her.

...

 **Miami Melrose**

"Order up!" The chef called.

Miami skated over to the counter and picked up the food. Literally skated. The diner was themed from over a century ago, when apparently waitresses had been required to wear the torture devices known as roller skates. When she first started out there Miami fell all the time, but now she was used to the skates and had great coordination.

On her way to the table with the double cheeseburger and chocolate shake balanced on her shoulder, she glanced up at the television on the diner wall. The Report was showing like it did every Friday night, but tonight more people were paying attention than usual.

She looked up at Brandon's face in the corner, he looked a bit shocked and Miami couldn't decide of he looked happy or not.

"Miss Azura Blackwell of Sota, Five."

Miami paused in her trek across the diner to study the girl on the screen. She had pretty blonde hair and bright amber eyes. Brandon still looked shocked from the previous girl but he managed to smile a bit at the sight of Azura.

Miami got to the table and gave them their food, along with a big smile as she cleared away their appetizer dishes and talked with the couple. They were discussing the Selected girls and the couple was guessing on who they thought would win.

"Miss Vivian Thompson of Bonita, Four." An Indian girl with big brown eyes popped up and Brandon's smile remained but some of the light left his eyes.

The couple was debating whether or not she'd make it past the first round when Miami turned and left them. She hoped they'd give her a big tip but she wasn't sure.

Miami deposited the dirty dishes in the kitchen and turned around just in time to see the next girl announced.

"Miss London Banks of Calgary, Two." A girl with burgundy hair and really pretty eyes showed up. Miami wasn't sure if they were dark blue or light purple, but she really liked them. It seemed like Brandon did too because his smile grew.

Miami started making a root beer float for the customer at table five. He was a regular and even though he hadn't ordered yet, Miami knew what he wanted. She was always extra nice to him because he was a good tipper.

"Miss Jane Parker of Panama, Three." A rather plain looking girl popped up with brown hair and eyes. Brandon's smile dimmed a bit.

Miami skated around the counter and started making her way over to the man.

"Miss Phoebe Dunlap of Sumner, Seven." Miami could definitely tell Phoebe was a Seven, she was filthy. There was dirt all over her face and what looked like a grease stain on the top of her shirt. She wasn't very pretty either and just looked unkept. Brandon's smile disappeared completely.

Miami had her back to the television and the overflowing float was in her hand when she heard the next girl's name.

"Miss Anya Emerson of Lakedon, an Eight."

Miami jerked to a stop, slopping the soda all over the front of her shirt. An Eight in the Selection?! That was unheard of. She whipped around to see who the girl was. She had plain brown hair, pretty green eyes, and something on her face. Either dirt or freckles, Miami couldn't tell. Regardless, she was still prettier than Phoebe and Brandon's small smile returned.

Miami looked down at herself and sighed. She was a mess. She slowly finished her skate over to the man so she could explain why his soda was late. She kissed her big tip goodbye.

Miami was in mid-sentence when the next girl was announced and she didn't hear as David said, "Miss Miami Melrose of Denbeigh, Six."

She was still trying to explain to her customer when he interrupted her with, "Congratulations."

She spun around just in time to see her own face flash off the screen.

...

The studio lights on the set of the Report were always hot, but the night his Selected were revealed Brandon felt stifled. He felt like he was roasting alive, and it didn't help that there was a camera pointed directly at his face for almost he whole show. Every move he made, every twitch of his smile was being analyzed by the whole country. And Brandon knew it wouldn't just be tonight, the footage would be played over and over as people made bets based on his reactions and tried to guess who would win the Selection. He hated that people did that. This was his whole future on the line and they were turning it into some big gambling contest.

Brandon's gaze flashed back to the picture as David announced the next girl. During his reverie Brandon has spaced out and missed a few of the names. Hopefully he had looked happy with them.

"Miss Shevonne Ellington of Allens, Two."

Brandon knew who it was even without Brook grabbing his arm and digging her nails in. He smirked and resisted the urge to laugh as he looked at his little sister and saw her eyes practically bugging out of her head.

Brandon whipped back around as he heard David get ready to announce another girl. He'd already missed some and didn't need to miss anymore. Not that he was actually able to keep track of all the girls, there were only a few that he actually remembered and wouldn't have to study later.

"Miss Sage Masters of Tammins, Four."

A girl with deep red hair, grey eyes, and freckles popped up. She was gorgeous, there was no denying it, but something about her made Brandon feel a bit wary.

"Miss Flara Blakes of Columbia, Three."

A smiling girl with brown eyes and strawberry blonde hair appeared. Something about her was familiar to Brandon, but he couldn't figure out exactly what. He was sure that he'd never heard her name before.

"Miss Callista de la Fuente of Kent, Four."

Callista was very pretty, with caramel hair and bright blue eyes. She looked very sweet and Brandon couldn't help but smile.

How many girls were left? He wondered. It seemed like the night was dragging on and on.

"Miss Elody Bond of Labrador, Eight."

Brandon's eyes widened. _Another_ Eight? There'd never before been a Selection that had one Eight in it and his had _two_! Elody was pretty enough, though very dirty. Her brown hair needed to be washed but her grey-green eyes were lively.

"Miss Amaretta Foster of Baffin, Seven."

When Amaretta's picture popped up there were a few gasps. Brandon saw Ryan actually flinch back a little. Amaretta was covered in freckles and her strawberry blonde hair was nice, but her eyes were what was so startling. They were an intense shade of green flecked with gold that contrasted with her dark freckles. They seemed to pop out and Brandon understood why a few people had turned away. But while others backed off, Brandon felt himself drawn into her eyes, it seemed too soon when her pictured flashed off.

"The last girl of the night," David said.

 _Finally_ , Brandon thought. Brandon already knew what her province would be. The last girl was always announced from the winner of the last Selection's province. Serenity had won the last Selection and she was from Dakota.

"From the province of Dakota, which last time gave us our lovely Princess Serenity, we have Miss Ginger Bell, a Six."

Brandon couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed by Ginger. She was pretty enough with red hair and light blue eyes, but this was where _Serenity_ came from. Brandon had expected a standout and Ginger easily paled compared to some of the other girls.

Brandon had been so caught up in his thoughts that he'd missed the closing. David was just signing off and then the cameras' lights turned off, signaling they were off the air.

Brandon hurried out of the studio before his siblings could bombard him with questions. He just needed to be alone.

He made his way up to the third floor still in a state of mild panic. He had to find a wife out of thirty five girls, how was she going to do that? He only had a week to prepare before the girls arrived.

A week to make sure everything was set up for them. A week to learn all of their names. A week to prepare himself. A week until his life changed forever.

...

 **Zinnia was made by 4Love4Love4**

 **Priya was created by LadyAnj**

 **Miami was the work of XOStarbrightXO**

 **Hope you guys liked this chapter and don't forget to leave a review and vote on the poll!**

 **Until next time!**

 **~Jen**


	9. The Chance of a Lifetime

**Hey guys! I'm gonna apologize in advance for this chapter, it's really short. I usually try and do between 2,500-3,000 words per chapter and this is barely 2,000. Hope you like it anyway. This chapter is reactions from the girls. Next chapter will be Brandon's reactions and the ones after that will be plane rides. Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter: .just. , 4Love4Love4, Cookiedoodles168, LeaGirlWriter22 (x2), ApolloSerenity (x2), SolarisEclipse77 (x2), wolfofstark, Potterhead1813, thirteenth17, Elmers glue, LadyAnj (x2), ThousandSplendidSuns, and Demigod18. Love you guys!**

 **...**

 **Amara Foster**

" _What_?!" Maddie shrieked for the third or fourth time. That was the only thing she'd been able to say since Amara's face had popped up on the screen and her name was announced as the Selected from Baffin.

Now the Report was over, but for Amara the drama was just starting.

"How did _she_ get in? And not me? Or Emilie?" Maddie's face was turning red from her yelling and her voice was slowly getting higher and higher.

Normally Amara would have a sarcastic comeback for Maddie's attitude, but at the moment she was in too much shock. At the mention of her favorite sister though, Amara turned to look at Emilie.

Emilie saw the look and gave Amara a small smile in return, though Amara saw through it and could see the tears pooling in her dark brown eyes, despite her attempts to hide them.

"Congrats, Amara. I hope you have fun in the Selection. It'll be a really great opportunity for you, make sure to tell the Prince about me when you meet him." Emilie turned and began making her way to the room she shared with Catherine.

Before she was halfway there, everyone in the room could hear her sobs.

Maddie whirled on Amara, "Now look what you did. This is all _your_ fault! You don't deserve this! You've never deserved this! It should have been _me_!"

" _Madeline_ ," Mckenzie chided, "Don't talk to Amara like that. She deserves this chance as much as anyone else," Mackenzie's words said one thing but her expression said another. It was clear how disappointed she was that one of her own daughters hadn't been chosen, "I hope you enjoy it, Amara. The Selection will be a wonderful opportunity for you, full of new experiences and adventures and-"

"Don't forget _Princes_!" Catherine interrupted, "There are _three_ Princes in the palace and Amara gets to meet all of them! It's so exciting! Prince Brandon's going to fall in love with Amara and then they're going to get married and live happily ever after! Amara's gonna be a princess!"

Catherine finally paused for breath and everyone in the room stared at her like she had two heads.

The room was silent for a moment as everyone processed what Catherine had said.

Before anyone had a chance to react however, Catherine was off again, excitedly exclaiming, "Amara, do you think I could see the palace? Could you ask Prince Brandon? Once you get to know him he'll definitely fall in love with you and then you can bring us all there and we can see it!" She turned to her mother with pleading eyes, "Please Mom, it would be so cool. We could go there to visit Amara and you and Ryan could study all of the art. Emilie, Maddie, and I could study some of the classical music there and maybe use their instruments. It would be so _amazing_!"

Amara tuned Catherine out, she knew her sister could go on like this for hours. Catherine was right though, this would be an amazing experience. She couldn't let Maddie make her feel bad about it. She didn't do anything wrong, she just put her name in there and fate happened to choose her. She did deserve this, in fact she deserved it _more_ than a lot of people, including Maddie. Amara felt bad about Emilie's reaction though. Emilie had wanted to be Selected as badly as she did, and unlike Maddie, Emilie deserved it. Amara just hoped that Emilie would be able to forgive her, and hopefully soon. She didn't want the Selection to be the thing that tore them apart after they'd survived so much.

Catherine was still chattering away, oblivious to the glares Maddie was shooting her and the look from her father that said to stop talking so that the tension would leave.

Ryan stood up from the couch and walked over to the doorway to the kitchen before he turned around. He surveyed the room full of his family for a minute before he opened his mouth and spoke, " _Catherine_ , shut it." Catherine stopped talking mid-sentence, her mouth still open as she turned to stare at Ryan. Now that he had everyone's attention, Ryan smiled his characteristic grin and turned to face Amara, "Congrats, Mar. I hope the Selection is everything you dreamed it'd be."

Amara stared after him as he turned and left the room.

 _I hope so too, Ryan,_ she thought, _I hope so too._

 **...**

 **Sage Masters**

Sage walked in the front door of her house and slammed it behind her, announcing she was home.

She kicked her shoes off then walked into the living room where, unsurprisingly, her older brother was on the phone. Sage knew right away that it had to be someone from the palace. She'd run straight home after she saw her name announced from her friend Lily's house, two miles away. Even though Sage was in training to be a professional runner, she was sure she'd never run faster in her life than those two miles tonight. It had taken her nine minutes to get home and now she was sweaty and tired, but exhilarated. She was in the Selection.

Sage saw her parents sitting on the couch and once her mother saw her, she jumped up and gave Sage a hug.

"Congratulations, sweetie," she said into Sage's hair. Sage's mother was several inches taller than her and had to look down when speaking to her, but everyone was several inches taller than Sage.

Sage's head shot up as she heard her oldest brother, Stefan, begin to yell.

"She's not going and that's _final_! You can tell everyone else that too so they'll stop calling, because Sage is staying right here in Tammins!" Stefan slammed the receiver down, and before he even had a chance to remove his hand it was ringing again.

Sage flew across the room and pushed Stefan away from the phone as hard as she could so that her father could answer.

"What are you doing?" Sage demanded, "This is _my_ life and _my_ choice. You may think that you can control me, but you're wrong, and nothing you do is stopping me from having this experience."

"Sage," he started.

" _No_!" she screamed, "This whole Selection has had you even crazier than usual and I'm sick of it!"

Sage's older brothers, Stefan and Matthew, had always been overprotective of her, even though they had three other little sisters. They thought they had to protect Sage from everything, going so far as to chaperone her dates with boys and forbidding her from doing things. When they had been too busy they'd found other chaperones for her, especially Matthew's friend Adam. This backfired on them however, since because Adam "chaperoned" Sage, she spent most of her time with him and soon the two developed feelings for each other. They dated for months before her brothers found out, but once they did it was the end of Adam and Sage's happiness. Stefan completely flipped out and beat Adam, sending him to the hospital for "defiling his little sister". After that, Adam didn't want to see Sage anymore despite still being in love with her. He decided that his friendship with Matthew was too important and since he'd been friends with Matthew first, he needed to keep that relationship instead of Sage's.

Sage still blamed Stefan for ruining the best thing that had ever happened to her and now she went out of the way to do whatever she could to anger him. When the Selection came along, Sage knew there was _nothing_ that would anger Stefan more than her entering.

She signed up one day when she was with her friends, and when she came home and told her little sisters about it, Stefan overheard. Her parents were out of town that night and Stefan felt like Sage had been his responsibility and he'd failed. While she was sleeping he'd locked her in her room to stop her from doing something he would disapprove of again. When Sage found out she was furious, demanding he let her out. When he didn't, she took matters into her own hands, packed a bag, jumped out the window and went to her friend's house, where she'd been living for the past week until the Selection was announced.

Once she saw her name on the screen she'd raced home, knowing that Stefan would do everything in his power to stop her from going. For some reason that Sage couldn't understand, he was intent on ruining her life. She'd arrived home just in time, because he _was_ trying to stop her from going, and there was no way on earth that Sage was letting that happen.

Her father held the phone out to her so that she could talk to whoever was on the other line. Once Sage had the phone she kindly explained to the lady on the other end that the jerk who had just yelled at her was not one of Sage's legal guardians and that her parents were perfectly fine with her attending the Selection and that she couldn't wait until next week when she'd get to see the palace herself in person.

Stefan glared daggers at her the whole time she was talking and once she hung up he looked at her and said, "Sage, listen to me-"

"No _you_ listen to _me_ , Stefan Carson Masters," Sage interrupted, "You have been the bane of my existence since I took my first breath, but you are _not_ going to control my life. Not anymore. _You_ were the reason my heart was broken, _you_ were the reason the guy I'm in love with left me, and you're the reason I constantly feel like I'm living in a cage! You were the reason for everything bad in my life and I will _not_ let you be the reason I miss out on the chance of a lifetime to be a princess. You will not control my life anymore, Stefan. I won't let you. I'm going to the palace and I'd like to see you try and stop me."

Stefan just stared at her, speechless for once in his life, before he turned and left the house, slamming the door on his way out. Everyone else stared at Sage as well, not sure if her outburst was done or not.

The ringing phone broke the silence in the room and Sage answered it with a smile. There was _nothing_ that would stop her from having this chance and she was going to enjoy every minute of it.

 **...**

 **Aria Benoit**

"Oh my gosh, Ari!" Sydney said. She'd said the same thing several times but Aria didn't think she'd ever get tired of hearing it.

Aria kept replaying the moment over in her mind, when her face had popped up on the screen and Brandon had smiled his perfect smile. She still had trouble believing it was real. She kept expecting that any moment she would wake up and everything would be back to normal, because this kind of thing _never_ happened to her.

Her younger brothers, Liam and Josh, only eight and nine, didn't really understand what was happening, but they fed off of everyone else's excitement and were dancing across the living room, whooping and jumping. Aria's mom was too happy to chastise them and only had eyes for her beaming daughter.

"This is _so_ exciting!" Sydney screeched, "It's like a fairytale."

"I _know_ ," Aria agreed, "I still can't believe it. I get to go to the palace! I'm going to be on TV!"

Aria knew those were the things that Sydney would be excited about, but there was more for her. She was famous now, everyone would want to know about her and meet her, even if she was sent home the first day.

She would be getting money sent home to her family. Liam and Josh would be able to afford to play in the sports leagues like they always talked about, her family would be able to have better meals and actually feel full, and Aria would be able to make her dream come true. At the palace she'd be able to design as many dresses as she wanted, and maybe even be able to make some of her designs and wear them. Aria would be able to pursue her passion without lowering herself in life, and if she was lucky, by the time the Selection ended, she'd be a Two and able to be a fashion designer on her own.

There would be no more small chorus parts that barely brought in money, no more staying late every night to clean up after the "real" actors who could afford to live off of one part, no more cramped dressing rooms or small stage entrances. No more itchy stage makeup or stupid costumes. No more sleazy directors who didn't care about talent and just picked the girls with the best bodies. Aria was _finally_ free from the life that she'd hated. Free to live her dream and do whatever she wanted in life. There were no restrictions on her now, _nothing_ that she wouldn't be able to do if she wanted.

Sydney pulled Aria into a hug, "I just _knew_ you'd get in," she told her sister, "Aren't you glad I mad you sign up?"

Aria grinned, she knew the question was rhetorical but she answered anyway, "Yeah, Syd, I really am."

 **...**

 **Again, sorry about the shortness of the chapter, the next one will be better. Thanks to everyone who voted in the poll, I'm still deciding the Main, Supporting, and Minor girls but I'm almost done. Let me know in the reviews how many plane ride chapters you'd like to see. I'm not a huge fan of them myself but if you guys want to read them I'll write them in. Also let me know what you thought of all the girls in this chapter. Sage was made by ApolloSerenity and you should know the other girls. Hope you liked it don't forget to leave a review, I really love hearing from you guys, it makes me write faster. Also, think snowy thoughts cuz if I get a snow day on Monday there's a pretty good chance you'll be getting a chapter. Thanks for all your support!**

 **~Jen**


	10. I Can't Understand

**Hey guys! Guess what! Ten inches of snow and no school! That means another chapter. Two chapters in two days, I'm on a roll! Don't get used to it though. Thanks to all of these lovely people who reviewed last chapter: ThousandSplendidSuns, ApolloSerenity, Cookiedoodles168, XOStarbrightXO (x2), .just. , LadyAnj, 4Love4Love4, and SolarisEclipse77.**

 **This chapter is some sibling action at the palace and what they think of the girls and just some background info in general. Next ones will be plane rides, hope you like it.**

 **...**

Brandon continued staring at the picture of the blonde girl for a minute before throwing himself down on his bed with a growl of frustration.

" _I don't know_!" He exclaimed.

"Yes you _do_ , Brandon. Come on, there's not that many blonde girls in your Selection."

"Miami, Grayson, Taylor, Azura." He spit out the names of all the blonde girls he could think of.

Ryan sighed at him, "It's Aurora."

Brandon studied the picture again. He should have known it was Aurora. She had curly hair that not many of the other girls had, but he'd been studying the girls so long that some of them had started to blur together.

Ryan started, "She's Aurora Bennett-"

"I know," Brandon interrupted, "A Three from Carolina who's a novelist."

"That's actually right," Ryan sounded surprised.

"I know their jobs and provinces, I just can't remember their names and faces. Why are they so similar?" He moaned. "Kennedy and Kadence, Everly and Elody. How am I supposed to keep them straight? And don't even get me started on the " _A_ " names. Anya, Aurora, Azura, Aria, Amaretta, Adela." He rattled the names off, having them memorized but having no clue as to what the girls looked like. "They're so similar I just know I'll get them mixed up. And then they'll get mad and hate me! How did Matthew do this?"

"You just need to calm down," Ryan told him.

Brandon scoffed, "That's easy for you to say, _you_ never had to deal with this!"

Ryan's face darkened and Brandon instantly wished he could take the words back.

"Ryan I-" he started to say.

" _No_! You're right, Brandon." he exploded. "I have _no idea_ what you're going through! But at lest you have people who do. Matthew and Dad both went through what you are, so how about you get one of them to help you," Ryan jumped to his feet and started toward the door. When he got there he turned around and glared at Brandon, "You want to talk about no one understanding what you're going through? Try getting your heart broken by the _one_ person you cared about. Having the one person you'd do anything for take your heart and smash it into a million tiny pieces. And because of that person you let down your whole family, and not just your family but the whole _country_. You become the disappointment. The prince that everyone wishes would just grow up and leave already. You get a reputation that's not even true and you live up to it, because what else can you do?" His voice broke on the last word.

Brandon opened his mouth to apologize again but Ryan angrily cut him off, "So yes Brandon, I never had to deal with a Selection, but what I dealt with was so much worse. You think no one understands you, Brandon? Hardly. Every prince in the history of Illéa knows what you're going through. The one who's misunderstood is me." Ryan turned quickly and left the room, slamming the door behind him. It echoed in the silence after Ryan's outburst.

Brandon flung himself onto his bed, filled with self-loathing. What kind of a brother was he? He knew Ryan's past and how much he'd been hurt. Brandon knew the real reason Ryan didn't have a Selection, so why did he tease him about it? Brandon thought about what had happened to Ryan and tried to imagine how it would have been if it had happened to him instead. It was hard though, Brandon didn't know what it was like to be in love, Ryan did.

Ryan had been in love with one girl his whole life. They'd grown up together, only one year apart. They were the only kids the same age at diplomatic affairs so naturally they'd grown close, always dancing together at every ball, escaping the boring negotiations to go outside and climb trees. Ryan and Annika had been inseparable. The Prince of Illéa and the Crown Princess of Swendway. They'd grown up as friends, but Ryan had always thought of her as more, though he never admitted it; not even to himself. Everyone else saw it before Ryan did, but once he admitted his feelings he fell hard.

When he was sixteen he finally told Annika how he felt, and was overjoyed when she felt the same way. Matthew and Brandon could easily tell once it happened. Their devil-may-care brother had transformed into a smiling, joking, head-over-heels in love guy, and they were happy for him. Annika and Ryan began seeing each other as much as they could. Every diplomatic mission to Swendway Ryan attended, and Annika was in the Illéan palace at least once a month. They were constantly writing letters to each other and Annika was all Ryan talked about. Ryan and Annika didn't tell anyone about their feelings, keeping it a secret as long as they could. Neither of their parents found out, as they were too busy running their countries to pay attention to how much time their children had spent together. When Ryan turned nineteen, all three boys knew he wouldn't be having a Selection, he'd already found the girl he wanted to marry. Ryan told their parents that he wasn't going to have a Selection, but he didn't tell them why. A few months passed and Ryan hadn't heard anything from Annika. He was upset about it but not too surprised, she was the Crown Princess and had a country to run after all. When Annika's birthday came around, Ryan flew to Swendway to surprise her. After he greeted her, he got down on one knee and proposed on the spot. Annika started to cry and Ryan kissed her tears away. When he asked what was wrong Annika said that she'd told her parents about them and they didn't approve. Since Swendway and Illéa were already allies, they had nothing to gain by Annika marrying Ryan. There was a bit of unrest going on in Swendway and the King and Queen wanted Annika to marry the son of a popular Swendish family, to raise public approval. Ryan didn't care. He was willing to do whatever it took to be with Annika. He offered to give up his crown, move to Swendway, _whatever_ she wanted as long as they could be together. All Annika wanted was for him to leave. She wasn't willing to give up what she'd worked her whole life for, her country was more important than her heart.

Ryan left immediately. He flew back to Illéa, where he spent weeks in his room, not coming out for anything. He grew depressed and only thought of Annika. It wasn't until the royal family received an invitation to her wedding that Brandon and Matthew finally understood what had happened. They went up to his room and got the story out of him. Then they forced him to shower, shave, and change into something presentable before dragging him downstairs to face the rest of the family. When he got there, Ryan pretended like nothing had changed. He acted like he hadn't spent the past three weeks in his room, pining for Annika. Ryan still couldn't explain to his parents why he hadn't wanted a Selection, so he had to show them. He began to start seeing other girls, a different one almost every night, trying to get over Annika, but he just couldn't forget her. Her bright blonde hair and lively green eyes stayed with him despite his best efforts. Soon he stopped seeing the girls, he realized that none of them were Annika and being with them just made him more depressed. Although he stopped, he already had the reputation, and when the media upheld it Ryan did nothing to stop them. He accepted it, using it as his reason for avoiding the Selection.

Now, two years later and Ryan _still_ wasn't over Annika. He'd loved her his whole life and even though she stopped loving him, he never stopped loving her. Brandon knew all of that and he knew how upset Ryan was about it. He and Matthew were the only ones who knew, so why had he brought it up? Just because he was stressed didn't mean he had to make Ryan upset too. What kind of brother was he?

Brandon launched himself off the bed and practically ran over to the door. He needed to find Ryan and apologize for what he said. Ryan was completely right, Brandon had absolutely no idea what he'd gone through. Brandon had never even come close to being in love.

Brandon threw the door open and jumped back when he saw Natalie standing on the other side, her hand raised to knock.

She smiled at him, "Hey, Bran."

"Oh, hey Nat," he said, "What're you doing here?"

She smiled ruefully, "Well I heard the door slam and saw Ryan storming across the hall so I thought you might need some help."

"You thought right. We were going over the Selected. I'm trying to memorize them so I won't make a fool out of myself when they get here next week. There's only a few that I can actually remember."

"That's all you were doing?" Natalie sounded skeptical, "You weren't comparing them or talking about their looks?"

Brandon grinned sheepishly, "Maybe a little."

He thought Natalie would chastise him so he was surprised when she smiled and said, "Good, Brandon. I know that seems shallow, but for _you_ that's good. You can't reason your way through your Selection. Those girls aren't just lists of facts that you can memorize. You can't just use your head and expect to get through this, you're going to have to use your heart, starting _now_ ," Nat walked into his room and grabbed the stack of papers off of his desk before turning, walking across the room, and sitting on the edge of his bed, "We're going to go through all of these forms and you're going to pick out the girls who stick out to you," she leveled him with a hard stare, "And not all of them are going to, so don't lie and pretend they do."

"Deal," Brandon said.

Nat picked up the stack and grabbed the top form from it, "First up is Miss Adela Hargrove, a Two and a professional horse jockey," Nat stopped talking and studied the picture, "She's pretty."

Brandon nodded, Adela was pretty with her tan skin, dark hair and blue eyes, but Brandon just didn't feel anything when he looked at her, not like he did with some of the other girls.

"Yeah, but I just don't know about her."

"Okay," Nat put Adela's form on the left side of the bed, away from Brandon, "What about Amaretta Foster?"

Brandon smiled at her strange appearance. She wasn't necessarily pretty, with her dark freckles and strange, piercing eyes, but Brandon liked her.

"She's intriguing," he told Nat, "I know she's not pretty, but I just feel drawn to her." It was hard to tear his gaze away from hers, and this was just the picture. How would he manage when he actually met her?

"Well, it's _your_ Selection," Nat said, then took her form and put it on the opposite side of the bed from Adela's, before she pulled out the next one, "Anya Emerson, an Eight."

The two siblings studied her for a minute then made their judgements.

"She's pretty enough," Brandon said.

"For an Eight," Nat amended. Neither of them had much experience with the lower castes, other than the maids, since they'd spent their whole lives in the palace.

Brandon nodded and Anya's form was placed in the middle of the bed.

"Aria Benoit," Nat announced, "She looks a lot like one of the other girls."

"Kadence," Brandon said. She was one of the few that he remembered, and when he'd seen Aria just now he'd thought that Nat had her form.

Brandon grabbed the stack of papers from Nat and dug through them until he found Kadence's form. He picked it out and placed it right next to Aria's. The resemblance was startling. If he didn't know better, he'd swear they were sisters.

Both girls had deep chocolate brown hair and the same warm brown eyes. Aria's hair was a few inches longer than Kadence's, falling below where the picture ended, whereas Kadence's stopped a bit past her shoulders. Aria's smile was bigger too, showing off her perfect teeth and dimples, while Kadence's was shy and close mouthed. Brandon really had to look hard to find the differences between them. If they weren't side by side he knew that he'd never be able to tell them apart, they were practically identical.

"I like them," Brandon said, then put both of their forms on top of Amaretta's, closest to him.

Aurora, Brandon already knew, she went in the middle of the bed, along with Azura and Blaise.

Callista was very pretty, she joined Kadence and Amaretta at the front.

Colleen and Cosmina looked similar, with their dark hair and blue eyes, but neither was a standout. Brandon placed them between Adela and Anya.

Elody was pretty with her grey-green eyes and brown hair, Brandon placed her in the pile with the other Eight, Anya.

"Ooh, it's that singer," Nat exclaimed, "Ember Quinn," both siblings looked at the stunning redhead and her face full of freckles, she was quite pretty. "Brook loves her," Nat added.

"Who do I love?" Brook asked, poking her head in the open door, as if the mention of her name had drawn her to them.

Once Brook saw what they were doing she squealed in excitement and ran over to join her sister on the bed, "I want to help!"

Brandon rolled his eyes at Brook but didn't say anything. He looked at Ember again and had Nat put her form next to Amaretta's.

Brook grabbed the next paper from Nat and announced, "Everly Castle, a Three from Hundson."

"Ehh," Nat said.

Brandon agreed. Her strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes were pretty but her round face made her look a bit childish. Nat put her next to Adela on the far side of the bed.

Flara Blakes was really pretty, and Brandon still felt connected to her and that he should know her. He wasn't sure whether he liked her or the mystery she presented. He put her in the middle pile.

"Next is Ginger Bell, a Six," Nat said.

Before Brandon could respond about her, Ryan reappeared in the doorway. He opened his mouth to say something to Brandon, but then caught sight of his sisters and stopped.

Brook looked up and saw him, "Ryan," she called, "do you want to come help us? We're looking through Brandon's girlfriends."

Ryan smiled at his youngest sister, "Sure, Brookie," he teased then walked in the room and sat down next to her.

Brandon wasn't that surprised that Ryan was back. That's how he was. He exploded then he'd go and cool down for a while before coming back and acting like nothing had happened. Hardly anything ever stuck with him, but Brandon wasn't like that and he still felt bad about what had happened between them.

Brandon tried to catch Ryan's eye, but Ryan avoided his gaze. He returned his attention to Ginger and her form. She was pretty, but nothing special so he instructed Nat to put her in the middle.

The next girl had long blonde hair and ice blue eyes.

"Whoa, she's _hot_ ," Ryan stated, "Definitely the best looking so far. Solid ten out of ten."

"Oh yeah," Brook smirked, "What's her name?"

"Does it matter?" Ryan sounded incredulous.

"That's. . ." Brandon struggled for a minute before he came up with it, "Grayson Chandler."

"Yeah," Nat said, "she is really pretty."

Brandon agreed, but he didn't feel as drawn to her as he was some of the others. He put her next to the top pile.

Jane Parker was next, she was pretty but average. Even Ryan didn't have anything to say about her.

Juliet O'Shea brought a smile to Brandon's face. There was just something about her that Brandon liked. Maybe it was her smile or her eyes. At first he's thought they were light green, but now that he looked closer he saw that they were more of an amber color. Whatever it was, Brandon liked her and put her in the top pile.

"Really?" Ryan said, "she's not even that pretty she's-"

"Well she's not in _your_ Selection is she? And I like her," Brandon countered.

Nat put Juliet in the top pile like Brandon said then grabbed the next form, Kennedy O'Brian.

"Ehh, she's okay," Ryan put in.

Brandon nodded.

"She has pretty eyes," Brook said, which was true, but her blue eyes were the most remarkable thing about her.

Natalie put her form near the bottom.

"London Banks," Ryan said as he snagged the form from Brook, "She's attractive," he added.

"I love her vlogs," Brook said, "she knows everything about everything," she turned to Brandon, "You _have_ to keep her, I can't wait to meet her!"

Brandon smiled at Brook. He wasn't sure if he liked London or just how excited Brook seemed about her. Regardless, he put her near the top pile.

Miami Melrose was next. Again she was pretty in the average way. Nobody had much to say about her but they all agreed to put her in the middle pile.

Natalie pulled out the next form, Monica Hamilton, a Five.

" _Ugh_ ," Brook said.

"Just get rid of her now," Ryan added.

Even Natalie, who always had something nice to say, was at a loss for words.

Brandon had to agree, there was no other way to put it. Monica was ugly.

"Maybe she has a good personality," Nat suggested.

"Or not," Ryan said.

She went in the last pile.

Phoebe wasn't any better, with her grease stained clothes and unkept appearance, she joined Monica at the bottom.

A familiar face greeted them next, Priya Prepenstone. All of them had known Priya for years and Brandon wasn't sure what he thought of her being in the Selection.

"Umm, put her in the middle," he decided.

" _What_?" Ryan demanded, "You know Priya's prettier than a lot of these girls, right?"

"Yeah, but it's _Priya_ ," Brandon said, his tone implying the duh, "besides you're the one who whistled at her, not me."

Ryan grinned proudly at that, "Yeah, I knew it would drive her crazy. She's gonna be hopping mad next time she sees me."

Brandon had no doubt of that, in fact he would pay to see what Priya would do the next time she saw Ryan. She would be furious that he embarrassed her on national television.

Natalie settled the debate and put Priya one pile ahead of the middle.

"Sage Masters is next."

"She's gorgeous," Ryan said, "total babe."

Sage was pretty, there was no denying it, but Brandon couldn't shake the nervous feeling he had about her. Girls who looked like that usually meant trouble. Much to Ryan's disagreement, Brandon put Sage just slightly above the middle.

Scarlet Drapeau was next. Another redhead, Brandon thought. It seemed like there were a lot of them. Scarlet didn't stick out like the others did and with her hazel eyes she was slightly plain. She went towards the bottom pile.

Natalie pulled out Seraphina Casteel's form. Seraphina was extremely pretty, especially for being a Seven. Her brown hair and bright blue eyes stuck out to Brandon and he put her in the top pile. Even Ryan didn't argue that one.

Brook squealed when she saw the next form and Brandon knew without looking who it was, Shevonne Ellington. He told Nat to put her in the middle pile.

"What?" Brook said, "it's _Shevonne Ellington_. She should be in her own pile, she's so cool. Don't put her there."

"Brook, this is how _I_ feel about them, not you. And I want her in the middle."

Brook stuck her tongue out at him but didn't say anything else.

"Oh my gosh!" Brook shrieked. She'd been doing that a lot lately. It was starting to get on Brandon's nerves a bit.

"It's Taylor Lawrence!"

"Who's Taylor Lawrence?" Brandon asked.

"How do you _not_ know who Taylor Lawrence is?" Brook asked, "she's on this TV show and she's just horrible. She's always causing drama and being a jerk to everyone."

"Oh," Brandon said. Taylor didn't look like the kind of girl who'd do that. She had a sweet smile and looked a lot like Grayson with her long blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Maybe she's just a really good actress and she's actually a nice person. Maybe she entered the Selection so that she could show everyone her real personality," Nat suggested.

Brandon liked that explanation. He didn't know if it was true, but he hoped that the girls had entered because of him and not the crown.

Tristyn Westfall was pretty, and different from the other girls with her raven hair and green eyes. Brandon wasn't sure how he felt about her so she went in the middle pile.

Vanessa Waltaz was the only girl in the Selection with dark skin, but there was something about the intensity of her gaze. Her ebony eyes seemed to say that she's seen things, and Brandon felt like he was being examined under a microscope from her gaze. She went towards the middle and bottom piles, she just made Brandon feel too nervous.

"How many more are there?" Ryan drawled, it was clear he was becoming bored and restless.

"Three, think you can make it?" Nat asked teasingly.

"I _suppose_. Who's next?"

"Vivian Thompson, a Four from Bonita," Brook read out.

Vivian was quite pretty and they unanimously agreed to put her right below the top pile.

Yorra Weston, a Seven was next. While she wasn't drop dead gorgeous, she was pretty, especially for her caste. She was even prettier than some girls from higher castes, like Monica. Yorra was put slightly above the middle.

By this point Brandon was ready to be done as well. There was only one girl left and Brandon was ready to put her in the middle and leave, but Natalie gave him such a look when he stood up that he quickly sat back down.

The last girl was a Six, Zinnia Larrson.

Brandon had been ready to leave, but that changed when he saw Zinnia. She was extremely pretty with dark, chocolate brown hair and brown eyes. Her tan skin and warm smile made her seem sweet and friendly. Brandon felt instantly drawn to her, like he could tell her anything.

He smiled, "Definitely the top pile."

"What?" Ryan cried indignantly, "She's not even _that_ pretty. She should go in the middle, at best."

"It's my Selection," Brandon said, "and I like her."

Ryan rolled his eyes, "Whatever, bro."

"That's the last one," Nat said. She grabbed the piles from the bed and criss-crossed them, putting Brandon's favorites at the top and the others below.

She handed the pile to Brandon, "Here you go, hope that helped."

Brandon smiled at his sister, "It did. Thanks." Now Brandon had at least some idea of what he was expecting from the girls, and seven that stood out to him.

She gave Brandon one last smile before leaving the room, Brook not far behind.

It was just Brandon and Ryan in the room, and Brandon felt the tension instantly.

"Ryan-" he started.

"Don't. It doesn't matter, Brandon. Just forget about it." Ryan still wouldn't look at him and Brandon felt guilty at the look on his face, "I have to go," he said then turned and left, leaving Brandon alone.

Brandon sighed. He couldn't handle the Selection now, and the girls hadn't even arrived yet. How was he going to do this?

He put the forms down on his desk and left his room to go find Matthew and get some brotherly advice from the one person who could understand and help him.

 **...**

 **Alright, so not my best work but it's still a long chapter. Let me know what you guys thought of this chapter and what you'd like to see coming up. I'll probably do two plane ride chapters so those'll be next. Thanks for sticking with me through this, you guys are the best!**

 **~Jen**


	11. Here We Go

**Hey guys? How have you all been? I'm super excited because THE BRONCOS JUST WON THE SUPERBOWL! For those of you who live in America you probably already knew that and for those of you who don't live in America you probably don't care, but I'm super super excited about it! Thanks to all of my awesome reviewers:** Demigod18, Cookiedoodles168, wolfofstark (x2), LadyAnj, Thedaffodilqueen, PercyjacksonRxs, 4Love4Love4, XOStarbrightXO, .just. , Elmers glue, and thirteenth17 **.**

 **This chapter is plane rides and I'm pretty sure it's the only plane ride chapter I'll be doing unless there's someone you guys really want to see. It also introduces two new characters so let me know what you think of them.**

 **...**

 **Yorra Weston**

Yorra Weston was so excited when she finally arrived at the airport that she practically bounced out of the limo. She made her way onto the private jet that was waiting on the runway and she felt practically like a celebrity, which technically she was now. Yorra still couldn't get over that. There had been crowds in Paloma to see her off and even now at the airport there was a crowd that had to be contained. Yorra knew they weren't all there for her, but she still felt special and important.

She entered the plane and was immediately gaping at everything she saw. Growing up as a Seven, Yorra had had only the barest of necessities in life, so everything on the plane was extravagant to her.

When she finally pulled her attention away from the plush seats and tables spread with magazines, she saw two other girls staring at her.

They were dressed identically to her in black pants with a white tank top, though they each had a different flower in their hair (Yorra had a dahlia) and were wearing different shoes. There was a blonde girl eating a brownie with a tall glass of milk next to her. She was wearing a pair of cute heeled ankle boots and Yorra knew that if she stood up she would tower over her.

"Oh my gosh, they have brownies?" She squealed excitedly.

The blonde girl kept chewing but nodded. When she swallowed she told Yorra, "Yeah, if you sit down they'll probably ask if you want something and you can have one. I'm Grayson, by the way."

Yorra nodded, "I'm Yorra," then turned to the other girl, who'd yet to say a word. She was sitting on the other side of the plane from Grayson and reading a magazine. She didn't look much inclined to talk, but Yorra decided to try anyway.

"I'm Yorra," she repeated.

The girl looked up at her, still quiet.

"And you are?" Yorra prompted.

The girl gave her a once over, "Adela Hargrove," she said before returning to her magazine.

It seemed like Adela didn't really want to talk and Yorra didn't want to push her. She started making her way over to Grayson when two other girls entered the plane, chatting together.

Both girls wore flats and were shorter than Yorra and Grayson by far. One girl had a sweet smile, warm brown eyes, and dark brown hair. She was wearing a pair of comfy looking navy blue flats. The other girl was a bit shorter still, with dark brown eyes, and practically black hair. She was smiling at something the other girl had said. They both stopped when they saw Grayson and Yorra sitting there, then they introduced themselves.

"I'm Zinnia," the first girl extended her hand and Yorra grabbed it and shook enthusiastically.

Zinnia's smile grew. Yorra's happy nature was contagious.

The second girl smiled at them, but didn't extend her hand, "I'm Vivian," she walked over and sat on the other side of Grayson.

While she didn't say anything, Yorra got the feeling that Vivian was just shy, unlike Adela who hadn't even wanted to sit with them.

Zinnia hadn't seen Adela yet, but when she turned and saw the lone girl, she waved to the group before going over and sitting right next to her. Adela gave Zinnia the same look she'd given Yorra before she turned and fixed her attention out the window for the takeoff.

That didn't deter Zinnia however and she opened her mouth and began talking. Even though Adela wouldn't acknowledge her, Zinnia kept up a constant stream of chatter and Yorra had to laugh at the sight.

Vivian heard her and smiled in return, "She's really nice actually, she just likes to talk."

"I can tell," Yorra said, then she turned to Grayson, "where did you say I could get one of those brownies?"

Grayson smiled, "I'm sure someone will come around in a minute, but. . ." she paused for a second, considering her words, "You're a Seven, right? So you've never flown before?"

Yorra nodded.

"Then you _might_ want to wait until after takeoff."

Yorra nodded again, she was really excited for the takeoff but not really sure what to expect. When the plane started accelerating she gripped the armrests on her seat and looked out the window at everything speeding by.

Her stomach jumped into her throat as the plane started lifting off and Yorra watched everything disappear as they steadily rose higher and higher.

She couldn't help but beam. The Selection hadn't even started yet and Yorra already had new experiences.

Once they were in the air, a lady came out with more brownies and gave one to Yorra, Vivian, and Zinnia. Adela refused.

Yorra practically swooned at the delicate chocolate flavor. Already the food was indescribable, and she wasn't even at the palace yet. She couldn't even imagine what was waiting for her there.

...

 **Azura Blackwell**

Azura sauntered onto the plane at the Dakota airport. She was done with traveling and just wanted to get to the palace already. She'd had to spend the morning in Sota, smiling and nodding while everyone talked about her and how honored she should be to be Selected. Azura didn't feel particularly honored. _Grateful_ yes, _honored_ no. Azura had only entered the Selection to help out her family. Since she had grown up as an orphan, Azura didn't know her real family, but all of the people at the circus where she worked, Le Cirque des Rêves- The Circus of Dreams, were considered her family. The circus hadn't been doing very well lately and the checks they would receive from Azura being in the Selection would do great things for them.

The plane opened up and Azura was greeted by three other girls staring at her. She felt a bit awkward from their stares but tried to ignore it. Apparently she'd been the last one to arrive and they'd all been waiting for her.

Azura had never been great at making friends, but she tried to smile at the girls. All three of them were sitting together and it looked liked they'd been talking before she interrupted them.

Azura decided she had nothing to lose so she introduced herself to them, "I'm Azura Blackwell, from Sota."

"I _know_ ," said a girl with reddish brown hair, "I'm London Banks. I did segments on all of the girls from the Selection in my vlogs the past week. I know who _everyone_ is," she pointed to a girl with dark red hair, "This is Ginger, a Six from Dakota, and this," she pointed to the other girl in the plane, a blonde, "is Miami."

Miami smiled at Azura and gave her a quick, "Hey."

Ginger didn't say anything but she smiled.

Azura wasn't really in the mood to talk so she sat across the plane from the other girls. She could still hear what they were saying, and chime in if she felt like it, but she didn't have to talk if she didn't want to. And she didn't.

Azura leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, hoping to fall asleep to make the trip go faster.

Just when she was starting to drift off, she felt the plane begin to move. Azura opened her eyes. As a Five she'd never actually been on a plane before, but she wasn't one to let her nerves show.

Azura glanced at the other girls. London seemed perfectly fine and was lazily skimming through a magazine. Azura wasn't sure what her caste was, but if she had to guess she'd say a Two. The other girls were both Sixes and they were looking at each other, both mildly alarmed.

Azura decided that if London wasn't worried then they were probably fine. She settled back into her chair again and closed her eyes.

The plane started to rise and Azura realized her stomach didn't feel very good. She'd thought it was just nerves, but this was something else.

Azura had hardly ever gotten sick as a kid, so it took her a minute to realize what was happening.

She threw off her seatbelt and jumped up, "I'm gonna be sick!" she cried.

"Azura," Miami said, looking a little green herself, "you're not supposed to stand up during takeoff."

Azura didn't care. She quickly made her way to the back of the plane where the bathroom was, trying not to fall on her wobbly legs.

She made it there then leaned over the toilet and emptied her stomach, glad she'd had a light breakfast.

Azura waited another minute to make sure she was really done before she made her way back to where the other girls were.

"Here," London said, scooting over and motioning for Azura to sit next to her.

Azura sank into the plush seat gratefully. London handed her an ice cold bottle of water. Azura drained it in one gulp.

"Thanks," she said.

London was digging around in her massive purse, "No problem."

London was throwing her stuff everywhere, intent on finding something.

A phone in a sparkly case, a pair of headphones, various pens, and more makeup than Azura had seen in her life flew out of the bag and landed around the girls.

London emerged from her bag triumphantly, holding out a half empty pack of mint chewing gum.

"Here, the mint will help settle your stomach."

Azura nodded in thanks and popped a piece in her mouth.

She felt better already, whether it was from the water, the gum, or the fact that the plane was now stable Azura wasn't sure.

The other girls around her were talking and laughing, making predictions about what the palace would be like and how the prince would be. Azura didn't join in but she listened to everything they said, and the other girls didn't bug her about not talking.

Azura smiled to herself, feeling happy for the first time that day. If all the girls were like this then maybe the Selection wouldn't be so bad after all.

...

 **Cosmina Dragomir**

Cosmina nervously entered the plane, expecting there to be lots of girls there already. She was shocked when she saw that it was empty. Cosmina was okay with that as it gave her more time to prepare herself before the other girls arrived.

She sat down in a chair and stuck her small bag of personal belongings underneath it. She looked out the window for a minute but soon grew bored because there wasn't much to look at. She couldn't even see the mountains in the distance because she was on the wrong side of the plane.

She tapped her fingers on the armrest in boredom, still waiting.

After a few minutes of this, Cosmina grabbed one of the magazines from the table in front of her. Usually she was against the gossip that these things wrote, but she decided since she was in the Selection she might as well learn more about the other girls.

The cover of the magazine read: _The New Selected, Nine Girls To Watch Out For, story on page 48._

Cosmina flipped through until she got to page 48 where she was greeted by nine smiling faces, including her own.

 _While the newest Selection for Prince Brandon has thirty five wonderful young ladies in it, these are nine that shine just a bit brighter than the rest. Make sure to keep your eye on them in the coming weeks to see how they do._

 _Despite being a Seven, we've all seen how lovely Seraphina Casteel is. She has all the grace, poise, and education of a Two while hailing from a lower caste. We think she'll go far in the Selection and have lots of ideas for how to better our country, especially the lower castes._

 _Aurora Bennett is another beauty who we're sure is full of ideas. This novelist was famous before the Selection and we're sure her optimism will only help her during the competition. Aurora always strives for perfection and is able to make the best out of any situation. It's safe to say Illéa would be a better place with her as a princess._

 _Professional fencer Cosmina Dragomir is another girl to watch out for. Her looks are similar to Seraphina's but their personalities are definitely opposite. Cosmina moved here from Romania when she was fourteen and was the youngest (and only foreign) person to ever win the national fencing championship. Cosmina has poise and elegance and with her being an immigrant we're sure she'll be able to help with Illéa's foreign affairs._

Cosmina paused after seeing what they said about her. Was it really true? This whole time she'd been thinking that she had no chance in the Selection, but apparently other people disagreed. Maybe she _would_ be able to do this.

 _Another Two on our list is London Banks of Calgary. London already has a huge teen following from her vlogs. Her blog site_ London's Tower _has been blowing up since the announcement of the Selection. We couldn't resist checking it out for ourselves and it's safe to say that London knows what's cool. Her fashion and music vlogs gave us lots of tips and you should definitely check them out. London is very personable and a definite crowd favorite, we think she'll go far in this competition._

 _Callista de la Fuente is a beauty that we see doing great things during the Selection. She's a jeweler with a love of designing and writing. Her varied interests give her a great chance during the competition and we think her sweet, fun loving nature would be a great compliment to Prince Brandon._

 _Grayson Chandler is another beauty who comes from a very well respected family. Her father is a successful businessman and her mother a fashion icon. Grayson is a successful model with a passion for photography. She's had a busy year with her career and was planning to attend college next fall before she was Selected. It's really no surprise that Grayson was Selected and we see her going far in the Selection._

 _Taylor Bankston is another crowd favorite. A popular actress and model like Grayson, Taylor has a huge fan base rooting her on from all over the country. Taylor is absolutely gorgeous and we think the prince would agree. Along with her looks and talent Taylor has a big personality. We've had reports of people following this girl even before the Selection and we think with her looks and public sway that Taylor is a force to be reckoned with._

 _The only Six on our list, Zinnia Larrson, is definitely someone to pay attention to. Zinnia is a maid and we think from her experience as a servant she'll bring an interesting perspective to the Selection and royal life in general. Acquaintances have said that Zinnia is a joy to be around and always smiling. We think her cheerful nature will quickly make her a crowd favorite and we can't wait to see more of her in the coming weeks._

 _The last girl on our list is a familiar face in the palace. Priya Prepenstone is an advisor-in-training and has spent the past few years training in the palace and already knows the royal family. The latest buzz around her is about the reaction she received on the Capitiol Report, and not even from Prince Brandon, but from his brother Prince Ryan. His reaction has everyone talking and speculating about whether there's a past relationship between the two or if it was just another joke from the playboy prince. Regardless, we think that Priya earned this spot on her own through her hard work and knowledge of Illéa's inner workings and politics. All of us would be surprised if Priya went home before the Elite._

 _Those were_ our _top picks for girls to watch during the Selection, but we want to know yours. Let us know what you thought of the girls picked and who you think should have made the cut. And make sure to keep an eye out for next week's addition where we'll have our top picks for the Elite and who we think will be the first to go._

Cosmina put the magazine down as she heard the sounds of more girls entering the plane. She looked up in time to see a red haired girl and one of the blonde girls from the magazine, Taylor, enter the plane.

Taylor was talking animatedly, and judging from the bored look on the redhead's face she'd been talking for a while.

The redhead shot Cosmina a look that said very clearly, " _Help_!"

Cosmina smiled at them and introduced herself, "Hi. I'm Cosmina, and you are?"

Taylor rolled her eyes, " _Don't_ tell me you don't know who I am. I've been in so many TV shows and movies you should know."

Cosmina wasn't sure what to say to that, but luckily the redhead saved her.

"I'm Scarlet," she said, "and that's Taylor."

Taylor rolled her eyes again before going to the other side of the plane and sitting down, throwing her bag in the seat next to her to prevent anyone from sitting there.

"Thanks," Scarlet said taking a seat by Cosmina, "she was like that the whole time I was with her. She thinks she's the greatest thing in the world."

Cosmina nodded, she could tell that just from the short conversation they'd had.

Two other girls entered the plane after that and they were able to takeoff.

The new girls introduced themselves as Vanessa and Blaise, who were both very intense and didn't seem inclined for small talk.

Blaise sat across from Taylor and looked out the window.

"Who said _you_ could sit there?" Taylor demanded in her shrill voice, "I need my personal space and you're in it right now."

Blaise still didn't say a word but leveled a hard stare at Taylor. If looks could kill, then Taylor would have keeled over right there.

Taylor decided to do the smart thing and ignore Blaise and instead she began harassing the stewardess for coffee. The poor lady had to bring it out three different times before Taylor said to just being her a cup, creamer, and sugar so that she could do it herself.

"And it had _better_ be decaf," she snapped.

When Taylor got up to go to the bathroom, Cosmina saw Vanessa walk over to Taylor's stuff and empty the pitcher of cream into Taylor's expensive bag, no doubt ruining everything inside. Cosmina knew from experience it would stink and probably have to be thrown out, but Taylor hadn't exactly earned Cosmina's sympathy so she didn't say anything when Taylor came back.

Taylor discovered the cream when she reached in her bag for something and pulled out her soaking hand. She instantly began screaming and saying that it was sabotage. She was staring to give Cosmina a headache.

Cosmina shared a look with Scarlet and saw her expression mirrored on her red haired friend.

Cosmina rolled her eyes at Taylor's antics and thought, _It's going to be a_ long _plane ride_.

 **...**

 **Yorra was made by Thedaffodilqueen**

 **Azura was made by .just.**

 **Let me know what you guys thought of all the girls you got to see. Tell me who you like, who you don't, what you want to see, whatever.**

 **Next chapter will be makeovers and that'll be fun. Also you guys should definitely (if you haven't already) check out 4Love's SYOC, it's really good and you guys will like it a lot.**

 **I think that's everything for now, until next time!**

 **~Jen**


	12. Not Done Yet

**Hey guys!**

 **So so sorry about the wait, I can't believe it's been twenty days! Life's been super busy with school and basketball so I haven't had much time to write. The season is over in less than two weeks so hopefully I'll have more time to write after that. I'll apologize about the length of this chapter now, I wanted to make it longer but when I realized how long it had been between updates I just wanted to get something out to you. Hope you like it!**

...

Kadence couldn't help but gape at everything she saw. The limo had picked her and three other girls up at the airport after they'd been greeted by enormous crowds. While the other girls on the plane- Sage, Tristyn, and Seraphina- had all greeted the crowds, signed autographs, and taken pictures, Kadence had been so overwhelmed by everything that she'd only been able to slowly walk behind the other girls, smiling shyly at all the people.

Now the four girls were sitting in the back of a limo on their way to the palace. Kadence looked out at the Angeles countryside. It looked a lot like Fennley, very dry and with few trees. Unlike Fennley, in the distance Kadence could make out the glimmering blue of the ocean. She stared at it longingly. Kadence had always wanted to go to the ocean, but her dad was always too busy with work to take her. She hoped that during the Selection she'd finally get to see the ocean in person.

Her gaze was torn away from the ocean when a huge sign entered her vision.

The sign read:

 _Give Gray the Crown!_

 _Grayson Chandler is the best!_

Kadence couldn't picture Grayson but recalled that she was a Two. The sign made Kadence realize how many people there were lined up to see their car drive by. The walkways on either side of the road were packed with people, all cheering and screaming as their limo passed.

In the midst of the huge crowd, Kadence felt small and insignificant. Seeing all the people out there just made her feel even more overwhelmed and she was glad that they were driving by with the windows up so that she didn't have to face all of them.

To get her mind off of the people, Kadence focused on the signs. Grayson had lots of them and so did a girl named Ember. Amaretta and Cosmina had lots of supporters as well. Aurora, Flara, and Vivian had their names on several signs and Kadence was shocked to see her own name sprinkled throughout the crowd.

Kadence was so focused on reading as many signs as she could that it took her by surprise when they suddenly stopped. Kadence looked up, shocked, and found herself staring at the royal palace, a place Kadence had only dreamed of seeing before the Selection.

The limo slipped through the palace gates and Kadence stared at the tall, stucco walls that surrounded the palace grounds, isolating it from the outside world. Kadence would usually feel trapped being encased like that, but once she was past the walls everything opened up. The gravel drive circled around a huge marble fountain that was spraying cool mist into the afternoon light.

The palace itself was four stories tall, with balconies jutting out every few feet and guards posted at every exit. It was by far the most impressive building Kadence had ever seen. Before she had time to truly appreciate it however, the limo had stopped and the other girls were getting out. Kadence scrambled after them and the four of them entered the palace, where they were greeted by a pretty lady in her thirties with dark brown hair and eyes.

"Hello girls, I'm Amelia and I'll be your educator throughout the Selection. If you ever have _any_ questions feel free to ask, but for now we need to get going," and with those words she turned and marched back into the palace, her heels clicking on the marble floors.

"This is the dining room," she pointed to a room on their left, "it's where you'll be eating all of your meals while at the palace."

With those words Kadence's stomach gurgled and Tristyn looked at her and stifled a giggle while Kadence grinned sheepishly before turning back to Amelia.

Their small tour continued and the girls soon found themselves outside what Amelia called the "Women's Room".

"You'll be spending quite a bit of time in here so I'm sure you'll become used to it, but for now it's where you'll be getting your makeovers."

"We're getting _makeovers_?" Seraphina asked. Whether in delight or disgust Kadence couldn't tell.

"Yes, and actually your group is running late, so if you girls wouldn't mind hurrying then we can try to get back on schedule," her brown eyes critically scanned the room before she turned back to the girls, "Lady Sage you can go to station three, Lady Tristyn station four and Ladies Kadence and Seraphina, you two can go to ten and eleven," she gestured to the other end of the room where there were two empty chairs.

Kadence glanced at Seraphina and the two started toward their stations; however, they didn't get more than a few steps before Amelia called out, "Ladies, first head over to get your "before" pictures taken," she pointed to a corner where a backdrop was setup and a redhead was posing while a man snapped pictures.

"Do you know what _before_ pictures are?" Kadence whispered to Seraphina.

"No idea," she whispered back.

But when the girls got to the backdrop, they discovered exactly what the before pictures were, and Kadence watched as her brunette friend posed, looking like a model even before the makeover. Seraphina really was pretty, despite being a Seven, and Kadence knew that when it was time to take her pictures she wouldn't look nearly as put together.

Sera stepped away from the background and made her way back to the station, leaving Kadence to get her pictures done.

She nervously approached the photographer and he directed her to the backdrop and told her what to do.

All of the poses felt unnatural and forced, Kadence was sure the pictures were awful and she could see the photographer beginning to grow frustrated. No matter what he told her to do Kadence managed to find a way to make it look wrong.

Finally he gave a defeated sigh, "It's just the before pictures and they don't matter. Just give me a smile and we'll call it a day."

Kadence managed to give a small, relieved smile before he took the picture and sent her on her way.

Kadence made her way to station ten, dodging clouds of hairspray and all the people hustling back and forth loaded down with dresses.

She barely made it to her station and sat down before she was jumped on by three girls in matching outfits.

"Lady Kadence, it's an honor to meet you," a girl with blonde hair and green eyes said as she curtseyed, "I'm Ivy, your head maid, and that's Emma and Julia," she pointed at the other two girls, a redhead and another blonde, "We're here to help you, is there anything you want to change right now? We could dye your hair, cut your hair, make you stand out from the other girls, whatever you want."

Kadence blushed, embarrassed at all the attention, "I actually didn't know this would happen so I'm not sure what to do."

"That's fine," the red haired maid said, "With your skin tone I think some highlights would be good, maybe even make it ombré, just to make you stand out. There's one girl who looks an awfully lot like you, miss, and we want to make you memorable."

"That's a good idea, Julia. You get started on the dye and I'll get her makeup ready. Emma, go find a dress, shoes, and accessories for her," Ivy instructed before turning to Kadence, "Lady Kadence, what type of look do you want to go for with your makeup?"

"Ummm, I don't know. I don't usually wear makeup so I'm not sure," she said nervously.

"We'll keep it light then, now you just need to get cleaned up and we'll start."

Ivy had meant "cleaned up" literally. Kadence was scrubbed, lotioned, waxed, and prepped in any way possible before Ivy deemed her ready and Julia started on her hair.

Kadence relaxed back into the chair and let Julia's hands work magic on her hair. It seemed like only a few minutes had passed when her hair was done and makeup applied.

Her maids placed her in front of a mirror and Kadence gasped. She hardly recognized herself. For the first time in her life she actually looked _pretty_. Her plain brown tresses had been cut an inch and now ended just past her shoulders, and they were no longer a boring brown. The top part of her hair was riddled with golden highlights that faded to a light blonde for the lower half of her hair. Her straight hair had been curled and a braid from her front strands wound its way around the back of her head while the rest of her hair stayed down. Kadence was surprised by now much she liked it. Her makeup was perfect too, not too heavy but still there. All of her flaws has been covered up and her plain brown eyes now sparkled from beneath thick lashes and shimmering eyeshadow. Her nails were buffed and shiny and painted a pretty coral color that Kadence loved.

"It's perfect," Kadence breathed, "Thank you!" she said, turning to face her maids.

"Just doing our job, miss," Emma responded shyly, "but you're not done yet."

Kadence was led to a table that was filled with what seemed like hundreds of bottles that looked like they were full of perfume.

"Once you pick your signature scent you can come over to the changing room and get dressed, then you'll be done and be shown your room," Emma turned and walked over to the changing rooms, leaving Kadence by herself.

She began smelling some of the perfumes but there was just so many of them and they all smelled amazing. Making decisions had never been her strong suit and Kadence didn't know how she was going to pick just one of the scents. Finally she decided to just grab one and use it since they all smelled good. She reached into the middle and pulled out a pink bottle called Perfect Paris. The label said it smelled like French tulips, strawberry, water lily, and pink champagne, with hints of vanilla and amber wood. Kadence inhaled deeply and sighed, it was by far the best one she'd smelled. She picked up the bottle and made her way to the changing room where Emma was waiting for her. She was sprayed heavily with the perfume, a dress was slipped over her shoulders, and she was handed a pair of cream colored lacy three inch heels. Kadence wasn't sure the heels were necessary, she was already 5'7", but Emma insisted on them so Kadence slipped them on.

Kadence looked in the mirror and gasped again. She really looked like a princess. The top part of the dress was a sleeveless creamy lace that paired great with her heels before it turned into a flowing coral colored skirt that matched her nails perfectly and ended just past her knees. Kadence had to admit that she looked amazing.

She turned to Emma with shining eyes, "Thank you, it's wonderful."

Emma blushed scarlet at the praise, "Of course my lady, now go get your after pictures taken and I'll see you later."

Kadence made her way back over to the photo station, palms sweating. Her before pictures had been horrible and she didn't want to mess up her after pictures too.

"Kadence!" someone called.

She turned at the sound of her name and saw Seraphina waiting for her, ready to get her pictures taken.

"Oh my gosh, you look _so_ good!" Sera squealed, "I _love_ your hair."

"Thanks," Kadence grinned, "You look amazing too." And she did. Sera's long hair was shinier and her blue eyes were brighter. The makeup she wore made her eyes pop and her lips were a bright red. She looked really nice. Her dress was a dark red skirt with a cinched waist and a sheer gold top part with red beaded detailing. Sera was quite tall and even though she wore flats and Kadence heels the two girls were the same height.

The girl who had been getting her picture taken exited the backdrop and Sera stepped up. Kadence stayed in line and waited. The strawberry blonde girl who had just finished stopped and looked at Kadence as she left.

"I really like what you did with your hair, Aria, it looks nice."

"What?" Kadence started, "I'm not-" she cut off as the girl had already turned and left, not caring who Kadence was and that she had no clue who Aria was.

Sera left, giving Kadence a little wave before going.

Kadence stepped up to the background as the photographer turned around. She saw a flash of recognition in his eyes as he took her in and she felt her stomach drop. He knew she was the unphotogenic girl who took forever.

In sync the two breathed out, "Oh no."

...

 **I'm doing it backwards today, so thanks to everyone who reviewed:** MTJAS, Cookiedoodles168, XOStarbrightXO, Demigod18, Elmers glue, 4Love, PercyjacksonRxs, Leyla, and wolfofstark.

 **Again I'm sorry about that chapter, next one will be better, I promise.**

 **Leave me a review and let me know what you though and who else you want to see for makeovers. I have a few people in mind but I'll also take some of your suggestions so let me know!**

 **Hope you've all had an awesome February!**

 **~Jen**


	13. The New You

**Hey guys!**

 **How are all of you? I hope you're doing great! This chapter is more makeovers and the next one will be too and then it's on to interviews! Huge thanks to everyone who followed or favorited! And thanks to my lovely reviewers, you guys are the best! Thanks to Cookiedoodles168, MTJAS, wolfofstark, XOStarbrightXO, 4Love4Love4, ApolloSerenity (x2), LeaGirlWriter22 (x2), ThousandSplendidSuns (x3), and SolarisEclipse77 (x2)**

 **...**

"Oh my gosh," a blonde girl in front of Monica said, "We have a _lot_ of work to do."

" _Sierra!_ " chided a pretty lady with brown hair and eyes.

"Well it's true," Sierra argued back.

Monica knew they were talking about her, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Her appearance had never mattered to her, she knew she wasn't pretty, she preferred to make her impression with her personality and opinions rather than her looks.

The girl with brown hair finally pacified Sierra and turned to Monica, "Well Lady Monica, let's get started on your makeover."

Monica nodded, "Alright, but could you call me Mona? I don't really go by Monica."

"I think Monica's a pretty name," the third girl, who had remained silent until then, said.

"Yeah, but _I_ go by Mona so that's what I want you to call me," Mona insisted.

"Okay, Lady Mona it is. I'm Epperly, your head maid, and that's Sierra and Eliza," she pointed to the two blonde girls before she got back to business, "Now let's get started."

Mona hadn't known what to expect when she learned that she would have a makeover, but the process was nothing like what she had thought it would be.

Mona was taken and scrubbed roughly and thoroughly, when she was finished her skin felt raw and prickling, to be honest she was surprised she had any skin left at all.

Thankfully her complexion has always been good so Mona didn't have to deal with anything in that department, but the next part was by far the worst. Her maids had to hold her down while Epperly waxed her eyebrows and then attacked them with a pair of tweezers. Mona had never done anything with her eyebrows before so they were thick and long, a pair of caterpillars over her eyes. Each pluck produced a shriek from Monica and it felt like hours before they were done.

When her maids were finally finished with her eyebrows they took Mona back to her station to begin working on her hair.

That morning, when she'd had to get ready for her trip to the palace, Mona had been running late so she hadn't bothered removing her hair from the high ponytail that she'd slept in, and her hair was still in it during her makeover.

Her dark brown, thick hair was greasy and gross and Sierra's face showed her disgust as she struggled to remove it from its ponytail holder.

"How long has your hair been in this?" she gasped as Mona grunted in pain.

"I don't know, a few days. I've been _quite_ busy with all this Selection business and my hair was pretty much the last thing on my mind," Mona informed her.

"I can tell."

Sierra finally managed to free Mona's hair and she sent it tumbling down her back in greasy waves. Sierra then gathered up her hair and began to wash it, a long process.

Finally Mona's hair was washed, conditioned, smoothed out and trimmed to a few inches below her shoulder, about halfway down her back. She couldn't stop running her fingers through it, loving how soft and shiny it was. She kept feeling it even as her maids whitened her teeth and gave her a retainer to straighten them over the next few months. Then they put chapstick on her dry, cracked lips to try and put some moisture back into them. Mona finally stopped feeling her hair when her maids pulled out a straightener and began straightening it. Then they curled it all and pulled it into a low, classy, updo on the back of her head, leaving just a few curls to frame her face nicely.

Eliza had all kinds of makeup set out, but Mona didn't know what any of it was because she'd never used any before. She watched with curiosity as Eliza got everything ready. Just before she applied it Mona asked her what all the products were. Mona learned that she was wearing mascara, had cats eye eyeliner, a light coating of sparkly eyeshadow, and a pretty nude lipstick.

Mona thought she was done, she didn't know what else her maids could possibly do to her, and after the afternoon she'd just had Mona was ready to go curl up and sleep for a day, but she wasn't done yet.

Epperly came over to Mona with a large tray filled with perfume bottles.

"Don't worry, miss, you're almost done, now you just have to pick your signature scent," Epperly saw the question in Mona's eyes before she asked it, "A signature scent is a scent that you endorse. Brands submit their scents to be a choice and whichever one gets picked is used throughout the Selection. A list of what every girl picks will be published and put in magazines so that everyone in Illéa can see what was picked and then they can get it if they want."

"Oh," Mona said, not sure what else to say. It kind of sounded stupid to her but she decided not to say that. Instead of saying anything Mona began to look through the scents.

They were alphabetized and Mona couldn't believe how many there were. She tried to go through all of them but soon grew bored. She was in the middle of the C's when she stopped. She grabbed the next one, _Cleanest_ , it was called. Cleanest _what_ , Mona wasn't sure, but it smelled nice enough. It was a blend of green wild berry, night jasmine, sweet orange, grapefruit and lime with violet and English lavender. She decided on that one and picked it up off the tray. Sierra took it from her and led her over to the changing room where Eliza was waiting with an outfit.

Mona quickly slipped into the dress. It was really pretty. A simple black dress that ended at her knees. It was plain black until right at the bottom where there were two thick white stripes with one black in between. It was simple yet elegant and Mona loved it.

She emerged and was given a pair of white three inch heels with good embellishments. She was also handed a gold watch and a pair of bracelets that she put on her wrists and her look was complete.

Mona stood up, tall in her heels, and walked over to look in a full length mirror. She couldn't contain her smile. Despite her still crooked teeth she looked really good. She was probably one of the girls with the least amount of changes, but she emerged from her makeover looking like a different person. Mona had never before cared about her appearance, but she smiled at the mirror because for the first time in her life she actually felt pretty.

...

Miami Melrose had seen and done a lot of things in her twenty years of life, but nothing she had seen compared to the palace. Everywhere she looked there was something new and interesting to see. She couldn't keep her eyes on one place and was constantly turning her head in an effort not to miss anything.

As soon as Miami had entered the Women's Room she'd lost sight of all the other girls from her plane. She had been directed to a station so she could receive a makeover, but so far all she'd done was sit and watch.

She looked around her and was able to make out London's hair a few stations down from hers and she saw Azura walking towards the changing room with a dress strung over her arm. The rest of the girls were all complete strangers to Miami, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. Her job as a waitress had helped her deal with talking to new people and Miami was extroverted anyway so she couldn't wait to meet all of the girls.

Still no one had come over to help Miami with her makeover, so instead of sitting there she decided to talk to the girl next to her.

She turned to her right and saw a girl with bright red hair and a face full of freckles.

"Hi," she said brightly, "I'm Miami."

The girl smiled, "I'm Ember, it's nice to meet you."

"You too," Miami said, then added, "I _love_ your hair, it's such a pretty color, did you dye it?"

Ember chuckled, "Nope, it's _all_ natural, I just got it cut."

"Well it's _really_ pretty," Miami said again then cut off as a group of girls came over and began to swarm Ember with makeup, "It was nice talking to you, see you around?" She phrased it as a question, making sure that Ember wanted to hang out with her too.

Ember looked her up and down critically before saying, "Yeah, I think so."

Miami beamed at her newfound friend just as three ladies came over to her.

One girl came ahead of the others and everything about her screamed dark: her hair, her skin, her eyes, even her outfit.

"Lady Miami," she said, "I'm Zia, your head maid and those are Quinn and Rae, we'll be helping you throughout the Selection, starting today. So what would you like to do for your makeover?"

"Hi," Miami began, "It's so nice to meet you, I'm sure we'll become great friends and I can't wait to-"

" _Lady Miami_ ," Zia said sharply, "We don't have time for formalities, we only have a few minutes to get you ready and we're not going to waste them so I want you to tell me what you want for your makeover right now."

In that instant Miami hated her maid. Forget that they were from the same caste, this girl was just ridiculous. There was always time to say hello and introduce yourself.

Miami let a bit of her anger seep into her words and said shortly, "I want to cut my hair."

"That's _it_?" Zia questioned.

Miami nodded, fingering her waist length ash blonde hair. She ran her fingers through it and stopped a few inches below her shoulder, "Cut it to about here."

"That's quite a bit, are you sure?"

Miami's temper flared again, "Yes I'm sure! Just _cut_ it!"

"Alright then. Rae, you start working on her hair and Quinn, you can help me with the makeup."

Rae went around behind Miami and pulled all of her hair into a sink that was set up there then began to wash it. Miami was still a bit angry, but Rae had a very calming, relaxing nature and soon Miami felt herself relaxed and excited again. She watched eagerly as strands of her wet hair fell into a pile at her feet as Rae clipped away with a pair of scissors. When she was done Miami's head felt much lighter and she fingered her short hair with a look of awe.

" _Thank you_."

Rae only nodded before beginning to dry Miami's hair while Quinn started applying her makeup.

While Miami typically wore a bit of makeup to work each day, she'd never worn that much before and never had it been so professionally done.

Her eyes were much more defined with some eyeliner and her lashes were full and plump thanks to mascara. She was given a dark smoky eye and a light coat of pink lipgloss.

Now that her hair was dry her maids had a curling iron plugged in and they lightly curled sections of it before pulling it up into a ponytail on top of her head. A few strands were left out and curled to frame her face and a pair of stud earrings was inserted into her ears.

Miami caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror and smiled. Growing up she'd hardly ever had the chance to dress up nice, but she loved doing it. She looked great and she couldn't wait until she got her dress and accessories and got to see her completed look. She was practically giddy at the prospect.

Quinn walked up to Miami, carrying a large tray filled with glass bottles.

"Alright miss, you're almost done but now it's time to pick your signature scent."

Miami wasn't exactly sure what a signature scent was, but looking at the bottles she figured out that it was a type of perfume.

There were tons of bottles and all kinds of smells. Miami began sorting through them, sniffing each one. Most of them smelled amazing, but there were a few that Miami didn't care for. About halfway through Miami found the one for her. It was a clear liquid with a light pink tint. The label said _New Asian Cherry Blossom._ Miami had seen pictures of cherry blossoms but never seen them in person, but the perfume smelled amazing. It had notes of Asian pear and apple, cherry blossoms, rose, lily, and cinnamon. The combination sounded weird but was actually good. She grabbed the bottle and handed it to Quinn. Quinn set it at the station and picked up the tray with the rest of them to take it back. Zia walked over to Miami once Quinn was gone and handed her a dress with the instructions to go change.

Miami quickly walked to the changing room and slipped the dress on. She absolutely loved it. The dress was a dark purple with a sparkling bodice and a halter top neckline, leaving the back of the dress open. The skirt was crimped and ended just above her knees. Miami put on the shoes Quinn had given her, tan stilettos, and strutted out of the dressing room, ready to face whatever the Selection had in store.

 **...**

 **Mona was made by 4Love4Love4 and I already said who made Miami.**

 **Also, if any of you guys are wondering who made what characters it's on my profile so you can go look there. And I've decided which characters are Main, Supporting, and Minor. There's 11 Mains, 17 Supporting and 7 Minor. POV's will be from both Main and Supporting characters. Don't feel bad if your character didn't make it as a Main, I had so many great characters it was really hard to narrow it down. If your character is supporting she'll still be featured quite a bit and the Main characters aren't necessarily the Elite, some of them will be and some of the won't. The lists might even change a bit as the story goes on and characters develop more. Some might get moved down to Supporting and some might get moved up to Main. Minor characters don't have anything wrong with them, it just means your form wasn't as detailed as I would have liked, there was another character similar to her, or I didn't feel like I could write your character well. I want to make sure your character is how you pictured her and if I don't feel I can adequately do that than she got put in Minor.**

 **Hope you guys liked this chapter and let me know what you think in a review.**

 **Next chapter will be makeovers for two more girls and then interviews with the prince. For that chapter do you guys want to see all 35 interviews from Brandon's POV or just have a few girls and what they see? Or Brandon's POV but not for all 35 girls? Let me know in the reviews.**

 **Thanks for your support, love you guys!**

 **~Jen**


	14. A Tale of Two Makeovers

**Hey guys! Has it been 20 days already? Sorry about that! Thanks to all of my amazing reviewers for inspiring me to write more wolfofstark, Thedaffodilqueen, morethanjustastory, XOStarbrightXO, ApolloSerenity, Cookiedoodles168, LadyAnj, SolarisEclipse77, LeaGirlWriter22, 4Love4Love4, and Guest. And special thanks to 4Love and wolfofstark for getting me to update sooner through their support!**

 **This is the last chapter of makeovers and I hope you like it!**

 **...**

Blaise Larkin was not happy. While the Selection was a dream come true for every other girl on the planet, Blaise wished she was anywhere else. She hated the palace from the moment she laid eyes on the tall, pale, stucco walls that encircled the palace. She'd immediately felt trapped, and the feeling had only intensified when the ornate gate slammed shut behind her. Blaise would never be happy in a place where she was trapped and didn't have the freedom to come and go as she pleased.

She glanced around at everything and felt a surge of disgust. Everything was too much. Her keen nose was assaulted by hundreds of different smells, the fluorescent lights hurt her eyes, and the sound of fifteen girls talking was starting to give Blaise a headache because she was used to the silence of the woods.

She was still attempting to adjust to the makeover room when three girls hurried over to her, all talking animatedly. They introduced themselves as Mollee, Lucie, and Tessa, but Blaise didn't pay much attention to which was which because she didn't see herself talking to them. Not because she felt superior, Blaise was a naturally quiet person anyway and after the day she'd had she felt overwhelmed and not up to conversation. She hoped they'd take her hint and stay quiet, but she had no such luck.

"What do you want to do for your makeover?" A girl with blonde-brown hair asked her.

Blaise looked at her with her usual expression, a cold gaze, and sincerely said, "I don't care." She meant those words with every fiber of her being, Blaise had never, ever cared about how she looked. To her it just wasn't important, and that wasn't going to change just because her mother forced her to enter some glorified beauty pageant.

"Alright then," said the girl who appeared to be in charge, "We'll just start by touching you up then."

Blaise was taken to a station and her head reclined back. She jumped up, panicked, when she heard a loud rushing in her ears, but then she saw that it was a sink.

"Relax, I'm just washing your hair," her maid said.

Slowly Blaise sat back down and lowered her head again, still ready to jump up at the first sign of danger.

The girl began to work and Blaise was surprised by how much she liked the gentle pressure on her scalp.

"Your hair's so thick," the girl exclaimed, "and rough," she added. Blaise never conditioned her dark brown hair and it hadn't been cut in years so it was really no surprise that it was damaged and tough.

"Oh my gosh!" she cried, "Lucie, look at this! There's a leaf, an actual leaf, in her hair!"

Lucie scurried over and exclaimed, "You're right, and here's a stick!"

The two girls giggled as they continued to pull things out of Blaise's mane. By the time they were done they had quite the collection of twigs and leaves.

They finished off her hair by washing and conditioning it several times, cutting it down to her mid back, and trying to rehydrate her dry, damaged hair. Then they dried it, combed it out, and it was swept into a low, elegant chignon at the nape of her neck.

Her skin was next now that her hair was done. The first thing they did was scrub her. Blaise had years and years worth of dirt embedded in her skin, but her maids tried valiantly to remove it all. As they were finishing up her back Blaise heard a high pitched shriek from behind her. The other maids all hurried over and began to scream as well.

"What?" Blaise demanded, "What is it?" If there was one thing Blaise hated, it was not being in control, so she wanted to know what was happening on her back that she couldn't see.

"I don't know," one of the girls said.

"I don't think it's a mole," another one said, "It's too big, and it's really hairy."

Blaise craned her neck to see what had her maids attention. She saw a big, black dot on the smooth skin of her back. Blaise knew instantly what it was.

"It's a tick," Blaise said, which set off another round of shrieking from her maids, "I need a needle and a match so I can get rid of it."

"What?" a maid asked.

"Just get it," Blaise snapped.

When they brought her the needle Blaise instructed them to heat it up and then, when she confirmed it was not enough, they poked the tick with it, causing him to back out of skin so that she could catch him, her maids were far too squeamish for the task. Blaise grabbed the tick in a tissue and squished it, leaving the trash for her maids to clean up.

After her body was scrubbed her maids ha to remove all of her excess hair. Blaise lived in the deep woods of Yukon all of her life and there had never before been a reason for her to shave, but in the Selection it was unacceptable for a lady to have hairy legs. Because of this stupid rule Blaise was held down by four other maids as her unfortunate ones tried their very begs to wax her constantly moving legs. She kicked them several times but her maids just didn't give up, they continued their efforts until every hair was removed from Blaise's legs. When they were satisfied with their work they got ready to do her eyebrows. Blaise saw them coming and realized that the restraining hands were on her face.

"No," she said, "no no no no no! You are not putting that on my face!"

"We have to miss."

Blaise thrashed against her restraints, "No."

Her head snapped free and when she saw the hands coming for her again she reacted instinctively and bit.

"Ouch! She bit me!"

Blaise didn't even feel sorry.

"Please, miss, this is the last thing and then you have to get dressed and we're done."

Blaise though for a moment, gritted her teeth, and said "Fine."

Once her eyebrows were symmetrical and thin her maids put on her makeup. Blaise didn't know what any of it did and she didn't really care, she just tried to make sure her eye didn't get poked out as they applied it. They then brought her a selection of "signature scents" and told her to pick one. They were all much too girly for Blaise and she was ready to just be done and not have one when she found Patchouli. It was an earthy, exotic scent that reminded Blaise of home and the woods. She loved it.

Her maids then coaxed her into a pretty, dark green day dress and a pair of strappy, black two inch heels. She emerged from the dressing room a new person, unrecognizable from who she was before her makeover.

Blaise thought she was done and started to make her way over to the couches where a bunch of other girls were sitting, but she was ambushed by her maids.

They grabbed her and forced her into a seat before she realized what was happening then they pulled out a pair of wicked looking metal contraptions.

"What are those?" she wondered.

"Nothing, just keep your head still, miss."

Blaise eyed them distrustfully but didn't move her head. At least she didn't move until there was a sharp pain, like both her ears were being stabbed.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

She reached up to massage her throbbing ear and felt a piece of metal. She glanced at the nearest mirror and saw that her once bare ears now had two black stud earrings in them. Blaise was outraged. Her maids had just poked holes in her skin without her permission. She started to take out the earrings but her maids chastised her.

"Leave them in, Lady Blaise. If you leave them in then you're done and you can have your after shots taken then leave, but if you take them out we'll just have to re-pierce them again."

Blaise decided that she didn't even care. She left the earrings in, got her pictures taken, and made her way over to he couches where several girls were sitting and waiting. There was one arm chair a bit away from the other girls and Blaise made her way over to that. This had already been the worst day of her life and Blaise was in no mood to make small talk with perfect strangers. She sat and waited for whatever would come next, knowing that her day was only going to get worse.

...

London Banks was ecstatic. Her fingers were itching for her camera to begin taking pictures of everything that was happening. Her blog would have the most exclusive access on everything Selection related. Everyone would be looking at her vlogs and getting her opinions on the Selection and the girls in it, and London didn't want to miss a minute of it.

Unfortunately for her, her phone, camera, and all her other equipment were in her bag, which was not with her in the makeover room.

She mourned the loss momentarily but was soon so absorbed by everything happening around her that she completely forgot about her camera.

London was watching, waiting for the other girls to finish their makeovers so she'd have someone to talk to. Her makeover had been one of the fastest, she was already well taken care of and there wasn't much she needed to change. Her maids had tried to get her to dye her hair back to its natural brown, but London had grown fond of her burgundy hair and insisted on keeping it. She let her maids trim it and add a few layers but that was about it. The biggest change had been her wardrobe. Her maids had dressed her in a pretty, sleeveless mint day dress with black lace along the bottom and black accents on the side cutouts and a pair of black wedges. Her hair was curled and put into a high ponytail and she was sprayed with her signature scent, Classic French Vanilla. It was a very girly look but it was just what London had wanted.

London sighed, growing bored just sitting there with no one to talk to. It wouldn't have been so bad if she'd had something to do, but she'd been sitting there for fifteen minutes just watching the other girls. London's makeover had been fast, but her plane was one of the last to arrive, so she'd have to wait and be in the last group that would get to their rooms.

London sat and watched the other girls for another five minutes before someone else finally finished. A pretty girl with bright honey blonde hair and big blue eyes walked over and smiled at London. She seems to be waiting for an invitation, so London patted the seat on the couch next to her, glad to have someone to talk with.

Once she sat down London couldn't contain herself anymore, "I love your hair," she burst out.

"Thanks, I like yours too. I'm Aurora, and you are?"

London couldn't believe that she'd forgotten to introduce herself. Just because she had memorized all the other girls didn't mean they had as well.

She opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted as two more girls walked up to them, one with a face full of freckles and bright red hair, the other with caramel hair and blue eyes. They both looked stunning in their day dresses, the redhead was wearing a cobalt blue dress and the other girl a sunny yellow one.

"Oh my gosh!" the redhead burst out, "You're London Banks!"

London smiled at her, "And you're Ember Quinn. I'm a huge fan of your music by the way, it's really good."

Ember smiled, "Your vlogs are awesome. I haven't watched them lately with everything that's been going on but I used to love them."

"Thanks!" London turned to the other girl, "And you're Callista, right?"

Callista nodded enthusiastically, "I still can't believe that I'm here, can you?"

All of the girls shook their heads.

"I didn't even sign up," Aurora told them, "my mother signed up for me. I never thought it was my kind of thing, but now that I'm here I think it could be fun. Although I will miss my little sister," she smiled wistfully while thinking about her.

"Me too," said Callista, "Although Tatiana can be absolutely crazy, I know I'll miss her."

London couldn't help but feel a little jealous. She'd grown up as an only child and had always wanted siblings but she never got them. Her snotty stepsister didn't count.

A few minutes later two more girls walked over to them, both had strawberry blonde hair and London recognized them as Flara Blakes and Everly Castle.

They introduced themselves, Flara was a writer and Everly a librarian. Flara and Aurora had an instant friendship over their love of writing and the books they'd written. Soon they were in a deep conversation about literature that none of the other girls except Everly could hope to follow.

London, Callista, and Ember kept up conversation for another ten minutes until finally the last girl finished. She was wearing a forest green dress, a pair of heels, and a scowl on her otherwise pretty face. She deliberately avoided the other girls, going to an armchair as far away from them as she could get. London thought that was kind of rude, but not everyone was as extroverted as her and maybe the girl was just nervous. London was about to get up and introduce herself but Amelia, the Selection coordinator, walked over to take the girls to their rooms.

She took them on a bit more of a tour, showing them the entrance to the gardens, the dining room again, the stairs to the third floor (which were strictly off limits unless they were specifically requested by a member of the royal family), and finally the second floor corridor where all of their rooms were.

They walked along, dropping girls off as they went. Callista and Aurora's rooms were right next to each other and they were some of the first in the hallway. Flara's room was next and she gave them an ostentatious wave before turning and entering it. London could tell Flara was a handful, but she thought they could be friends. Everly and Blaise, the girl in the green dress, left next, leaving just London and Ember as they made their way to the last two rooms on the hallway. London saw a plaque with her name on it next to her door. The fancy writing matched the calligraphy of the silver pin that was on her dress. London shot Ember a smile, and got one in return, before she turned and entered her room.

The room left her gaping. Even growing up as a Two had not prepared her for the grandeur of the palace.

Her queen sized bed was made up in a color scheme of teal and cream and London loved it. The comforter and pillows matched the rest of the room, from the walls to the carpet. London saw her bag of belongings on a trunk at the foot of her bed but she was still in too much shock to go get her camera. There was a full length mirror, a desk with a chair, and French doors that led out to what looked like a balcony. It was by far the nicest place London had ever stayed at. She had to resist the childish urge to run over and begin jumping up and down on the plush mattress. Just as she was about to throw caution to the wind and begin using her bed as a trampoline, her maids bustled in.

They told her she had a few hours until dinner and that she could do whatever she wanted until they returned to help her change and get ready. They offered to take her bag and unpack it but London told them no.

She dismissed them and got to work. Soon her camera was up and running and London couldn't wait to get started. Her followers were going to love this.

 **...**

 **Okay, so makeovers are officially done and that means that it's time for the interviews! Before the interview chapter however I wanted to get out the list of who's Main, Supporting, and Minor, so that's at the end of this. I picked half the girls from the poll and the other half from who I thought I could write well. The story will mostly be from the Mains with Supporting characters featured quite a bit too. Supporting characters will have POVs too and some supporting will be more featured than others just based off of how detailed and original the character was. I made the poll on my profile public so you guys can all see how many votes characters got.**

 **Main**

 **London Banks**

 **Amara Foster**

 **Zinnia Larsson**

 **Priya Prepenstone**

 **Cosmina Dragomir**

 **Kadence Reynolds**

 **Aria Benoit**

 **Tristyn Westfall**

 **Vivian Thompson**

 **Juliet O'Shea**

 **Seraphina Casteel**

 **...**

 **Supporting**

 **Aurora Bennett**

 **Azura Blackwell**

 **Flara Blakes**

 **Elody Bond**

 **Everly Castle**

 **Shevonne Ellington**

 **Anya Emerson**

 **Callista de la Fuente**

 **Mona Hamilton**

 **Blaise Larkin**

 **Taylor Lawrence**

 **Sage Masters**

 **Miami Melrose**

 **Grayson Chandler**

 **Ember Quinn**

 **Yorra Weston**

 **...**

 **Minor**

 **Vanessa Waltaz**

 **Jane Parker**

 **Colleen Barrett**

 **Kennedy O'Brien**

 **Scarlet Drapeau**

 **Adela Hargrove**

 **Ginger Bell**

 **Phoebe Dunlap**

 **I think that's it for this chapter, as always, let me know what you think in a review. Did you like this chapter? Agree with the characters lists? Let me know.**

 **Happy Easter for those of you who celebrate that, and I hope you all have an awesome spring!**

 **~Jen**


	15. Tomorrow

**Ooh, look at me updating before twenty days have gone by. Thanks to all of these awesome people who reviewed the last chapter even though it took forever to get out:** morethanjustastory, 4Love4Love4, LeaGirlWriter22, ApolloSerenity, Cookiedoodles168, wolfofstark, and XOStarbrightXO **.**

 **Here's a little background about this chapter/story just in case you didn't know. America's Selection was the fifth one, meaning Eadlyn's was the sixth. Brandon's is the ninth so some time has passed but not too much. Eadlyn and her husband were Brandon's grandparents in this story. Just some info that might help you understand things getter and I know I promised you guys interviews next, but I'm a liar. They'll be next chapter and all from Brandon's POV so all 35 girls will be featured. Hope you guys like this chapter anyway.**

 **...**

"Matthew, it will be _okay_ ," Serenity reassured him.

"How do you know?" he asked, "Something could happen to you and I wouldn't be there to help."

"Something could _always_ happen, even if you're with me. And my parents need to know."

"I know, Wren, I just wish I could go too," Matthew sighed at the prospect of being without his wife for the next five days. Serenity was flying back to Dakota to visit her family and tell them about the baby, and Matthew was staying in Angeles. "You know, I haven't seen your family in almost two years, maybe I should go too."

Serenity smirked at him, "Nice try, Matt, but you have to stay here. I'm sure they would all love to see you, but they understand that you're busy. You need to stay here and go to your meetings. And Brandon's Selection is starting, you should be here to help him out. He needs you right now."

Matthew knew his wife was right, but that didn't make letting her go any easier. He reached out and pulled her to him, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. This was the last chance they'd have to be together before she left. They were outside the filming room, getting ready to film the last Report without the Selected. Once the Report was over, Serenity and his sisters would join the Selected in the Women's Room for dinner, and Matthew wasn't allowed to go with her. After dinner she would go straight to the airport and get on the jet to take her away.

Matthew pulled her even closer, reluctant to let her go even a minute before he had to.

"I know," he told her, "he'll be okay though, it's you I'm worried about."

"It's okay, the public doesn't even know yet so I shouldn't be in any danger from the rebels. At least not any more than usual."

Matthew nodded. He knew all of this, but it didn't make him feel any better. Serenity had to tell her family this week because she was getting so big that it was hard to hide, even with the loose fitting dresses she'd been wearing lately. Like the one she had on tonight, a beige, sleeveless, floor length gown with an empire waist that hung lose over her frame, neither confirming or denying the existence of her baby bump, which the tabloids had been drooling over for weeks now. The dress also had a deep V-neck, which Matthew was definitely not complaining about, yet still managed to be appropriate for national television when paired with her sophisticated updo and natural makeup. Next week, the first Report with Brandon's Selected, would be the big reveal, and Serenity wanted to tell her family before she told the rest of the country. This was the kind of news you had to tell in person, so she was flying out to meet them. It was also good timing because if she waited much longer it would be unsafe for her to fly while being pregnant. But all the facts in the world wouldn't make Matthew feel better until Serenity returned and he got to hold her in his arms and assure himself that she was unharmed.

Serenity seemed to read his mind and she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek, "I _promise_ you, everything will turn out okay. You trust me, right?" she teased him.

Matthew managed a small smile, "More than anything."

"Okay, then trust me on this. I'm going to go visit my family in Dakota, we're going to have an amazing time and they're going to be ridiculously excited about our baby, I'll stay at my house for five days and then I'll be coming right back to you and we're going to tell the world our news. You just have to wait five days."

"Five days huh? You know that's actually a very long time."

"Oh really?" she smirked.

"Yeah, just imagine if we were goldfish. Five days is an _eternity_."

"Well then I guess it's a good thing that we're people and not goldfish."

"A very good thing," he agreed.

"People with very important jobs," she tried to change the conversation back to the Report, where they were supposed to have been two minutes ago, "and places they need to be."

"You're right, love. You always are." Serenity smiled at him and he added, "I really am going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too," she said, "I love you."

Matthew pulled her in for one last kiss, "I love you more."

Serenity smiled again and the two walked hand in hand into the room where the rest of their family was waiting, ready to begin the filming. Matthew didn't release her when they got there. He wasn't letting her go until he absolutely had to. Tomorrow was coming way to fast for him, tomorrow was when everything would change.

 **...**

The lights on the set of the Report seemed brighter than usual and Brandon was soon sweating as he waited for the filming to start. He sat in his chair and watched as everyone took their places and the countdown to the live show began.

His father stood behind the podium, ready to address the nation just like her did every week. Matthew and Serenity walked onto the set with seconds to spare, prompting Sabrina to visibly relax before going over to chastise her son about the virtue of punctuality. The three of them then made their way over to their seats, which were more front and center than Brandon and his sisters, but Brandon knew that wouldn't last long once the Selection got going. All eyes would be on him and soon he would be in Matthew's place with one of the Selected at his side.

Natalie was already seated next to Brandon and she smiled at him. She looked nervous. Brandon knew why, and he completely understood.

Nat's birthday was in two weeks. Her party would be that night and all of Illéa expected her to be engaged by the end of it. At least Brandon had some say in his marriage. Yeah he was having a Selection, but at least he could take as long as he wanted to figure out which girl he wanted to marry. Nat had a few hours. They were going to be talking about that tonight on the Report, right before they aired the footage from the Selected's arrivals and makeovers.

Before Brandon had a chance to say anything, Brook hurried over from the wings and took her seat on the other side of Brandon, bubbly as always.

"Hey!" she started, "You'll _never_ a guess what I just saw! It was-"

She cut off abruptly at the disapproving look their mother shot her. The Queen, while usually poised, took the Report very seriously and did not allow her kids to disturb it at all. She wanted to make sure that the image everyone saw of her family was perfect. The iconic Illéan family that everyone could look up to and strive to be someday, setting the example she thought the country should take.

Brook at least looked sheepish after she was caught but she smiled anyway and mouthed "Tell you later" before she turned to face the camera, the picture of a perfect princess.

Brandon took one more look around and spotted David Fadaye standing in the wings waiting to come on. He saw Brandon and winked. Brandon grimaced in reply.

He quickly turned away when he heard the ten second countdown start, and soon the show was live.

Brandon listened, well _tried_ to listen, as his father took the stage and began with the usual announcements. Things about the budget and infrastructure. Things Brandon already knew from Matthew. He did pay more attention however when his father mentioned the rebels.

Way back when, there had been two different groups of rebels- Northern and Southern. The Northern ones had died out a few generations ago, pacified when the castes were dissolved. But the Southern rebels still hadn't been happy. Their complaints changed to deal with the new society and their attacks on the palace were frequent and violent. They were so extreme and persistent that one day the King had reinstated the castes, hoping to calm them by bringing more order into society again. This seemed to appease people for a while. The ones who were unhappy were all at the bottom and too poor and unorganized to change anything. Things were looking up, but they didn't stay that way. People always complained about something and soon even higher castes were crying out against the outrageous system. That's when the rebels really got organized, managing to sneak into the palace and assassinate the King and Queen, Brandon's grandparents. King James, grief stricken at the loss of his parents while on his honeymoon, returned home immediately and began a crusade against the rebels that still continued. He'd managed to push them back, to the other side of the country. Now the two groups were the Eastern rebels and the ever-present Southern ones, but they were gaining ground fast. Brandon didn't even want to imagine what could happen if the two groups united.

He listened closely as his father told their progress. They were slowly making their way west. They had strongholds in Hansport, Waverly, and even as far west as Midston. Attacks at the palace were becoming much more frequent and Brandon knew they were just going to get worse. More of the royal army was being sent out to deal with the problem and to try and end the rebels once and for all.

Once the official business was done, David came bounding out onto the stage, ready to turn the mood around. He quickly began talking about Illéa's international affairs and how Natalie could help them out, then he took guesses as to who would propose to her. Their pictures popped up on the screen as he announced them and there was a small box for Nat's reactions, similar to how Brandon's had been when the Selected were announced.

"First off we have the obvious choice of Prince Ricardo from Italy. Our relations with Italy have slowly been declining over the years and a marriage alliance would certainly help them out." Ricardo's picture popped up. He was a good looking dude with dark hair and eyes. Nat kept the same smile she'd had all night. Only people who knew her well, like Brandon, could tell that she wasn't actually happy. David went through all of the other possible choices she could have and Nat's expression remained the same. Prince Emmett from the German Federation, Oliver from France, Carter Newsome and Noah Dawson from wealthy families in Illéa. All of them got the same reaction from Nat. A polite smile and nothing more.

Brandon felt bad for Nat, but not for long because the screen changed and all he felt was nervous. He was about to see the Selected for the first time besides their pictures. He would see how they interacted with each other, with the staff, and with the crowds at their sendoffs. This would be all he saw of them before tomorrow.

Tomorrow. He would meet all of the Selected tomorrow. He would talk with them. Some of them he would connect with and some of them would go home. One of them would be his future wife. And it all started tomorrow. Tomorrow was when everything changed.

 **...**

Tristyn was sitting in the Women's Room sandwiched between Seraphina, who she'd met on the plane ride over, and Elody, a former Eight. She was also right across from Colleen Barrett, but didn't have a chance to speak with her since her back was to them as they watched the Report.

They had just finished discussing Princess Natalie's possible marriage options and Tris heard all the girls around her quietly whispering about how good looking all of the guys were. Sure, Tris had to agree that all the guys were all extremely attractive, but why were the other girls talking about that? Weren't they supposed to be here for Brandon?

"The princess is so spoiled, she doesn't even look happy right now," she heard someone behind her whisper.

Seraphina leaned over toward Tris, "Of course she's not happy. She's being forced into a political marriage. Who would be happy with that?"

Colleen's head whipped back so fast Tris almost missed it, " _Poor thing_. She gets to marry a prince and live the rest of her life in comfort and luxury. Boo freaking hoo." Her voice dripped sarcasm and Tris opened her mouth to respond, but Elody beat her to it.

"It _is_ horrible. Everyone should have a say in their future. Nobody should be forced to do _anything_ they don't want to, regardless of their station in life." Her voice was incredibly sincere and Tris could tell that she meant every word with her whole heart. Tris completely agreed and she knew that she'd found a friend in Elody.

Colleen started to counter her but was shushed by several girls who had their eyes glued to the screen, watching as David started the footage from the girls departures.

"Miss Shevonne Ellington had quite the sendoff. While she didn't have any family there to see her, she more than made up for that with the support from all of her fans who showed up to cheer for their favorite host as she made her way to Angeles." The screen changed to show Shevonne with a huge crowd cheering for her as she spoke at her sendoff.

"Priya Prepentstone didn't have far to travel at all, going the few blocks between her house and the palace on her own while people cleared the streets for her and watched.

Cosmina Dragomir had a heartfelt goodbye with her three brothers and friends that didn't leave a dry eye in the house." Onscreen Cosmina and three girls were in a huge group hug and when Tris looked at the other girl she saw her smiling sadly at her friends on the television.

"Amaretta Foster's family seemed to have mixed reactions about her leaving. Some of them cheered her on while one of her sisters had to be held back she was so upset. Hopefully the Selection won't do any permanent damage to their relationship and they'll be able to work everything out from opposite sides of the country.

Taylor Lawrence played the crowd darling today. Stopping to talk with people at her sendoff and at the airport. She signed autographs and took pictures with fans. She's an immediate fan favorite and definitely a girl to keep an eye on as our next princess."

Tris saw Taylor smile smugly at this praise and somehow she didn't think Taylor was truly a darling anything, despite what David said.

Before she had time to ponder he matter further, she saw her own face and the familiar streets of Belcourt up on the screen.

"Tristyn Westfall also had a huge crowd of supporters there for her today as she made her way to the palace."

Tris saw all of her friends and her little siblings onscreen and felt a pang of homesickness. She missed them all.

But then she caught a glimpse of her cheating ex-boyfriend Nick in the crowd and she was very glad that she was away from home.

"Bonita's Vivian Thompson's refined and graceful demeanor set her apart immediately as the lady, and her goodbye to her sister left many in tears. She's definitely a fan favorite and one to look out for in the coming weeks.

London Banks is another fan favorite that we're sure will be around for a while. This vlogger has a huge fan base from all over the country, and despite the family tension at her sendoff London was a bubbly ball of energy as she greeted fans at the airports and signed numerous autographs.

Aurora Bennett is another clear lady. Her refined manner at the sendoff set her apart from other girls and we look forward to seeing what her author's perspective brings to the Selection.

Ember Quinn also had a huge fan base before the Selection. This redhead came to the sendoff with a huge smile and all of her friends in tow. Her attitude helped shape the crowd and hers was one of the loudest sendoffs we've seen, with Ember even singing an impromptu version of her latest hit.

Young adult author Flara Blakes had a lively sendoff with her cousin Rosaile as her only family there. We've all read this young lady's books _Secrets and Lies of Royals_ and we can't help but wonder if after the Seldtion we can expect another novel in her incredible series.

Ginger Bell was all bubbles and excitement as she departed from Dakota after saying goodbye to her mother and four siblings. The last candidate from Dakota was our lovely Princess Serenity so we know that the Dakota candidate will hold a special place in her heart and we'll have to see how Lady Ginger does during the competition.

Miami Melrose had a lonely sendoff with only a few close friends showing up, but her enthusiasm truly made up for the lack of people there and we're sure she'll represent the best of the lower castes.

Kennedy O'Brian, the sweet and shy fashion designer, showed her true colors with a simple sendoff with only her immediate family in attendance.

Kadence Reynolds, a waitress from Fennley, had an uneventful sendoff with only her father and best friend there to support her. It's been very easy for people to notice the similarities between Kadence and Aria, another of the Selected, but Kadence changed her brown hair for an ombré color and now it's easier to tell the two girls apart. Their apparent similarities though have raised questions from people all over Illéa and it won't be long before theories are out there about the girls connection.

Graceful ballerina Juliet O'Shea gave her fans and the cameras the cold shoulder today, speaking only to her family and not stopping to talk with fans at the airport or sendoff. Perhaps it was just a bout of nervousness and once she meets Prince Brandon she'll open up and we can get to know her better. Monica Hamilton also had a quiet sendoff, but unlike Juliet, her confidence and outgoing nature made people feel closer to her and we know her home province is rooting for her.

Everly Castle showed her shy, sweet nature at her sendoff and was an immediate favorite for several people we polled because of her refined demeanor and attitude. This librarian certainly has a bright future ahead.

Callista de la Fuente didn't appear too excited to leave Kent today, but with her family by her side she soon brightened up and was a true sweetheart at the airport; however, before she left she gave one last glance at the crowds. She appeared to be looking for something, or maybe some _one_.

One of only two Eights in the competition, Elody Bond, arrived alone at her sendoff to mixed reactions. Some cheered her on as one of the first Eights in Selection history while others booed her and tried to convince her to drop out before security could get to them. Elody ignored them while the other Eight, Anya Emerson, who received similar treatment, smiled in return but focused solely on her little sister and their goodbye.

Seraphina Casteel, despite coming from a low caste, appeared to be graceful and ladylike, getting to know as many people as possible before boarding the plane. She managed to charm just about everyone who saw her and is an immediate fan favorite.

Grayson Chandler practically had her own fan club as her large family all showed up to see her off. Grayson and her father had a touching goodbye but overall she appeared excited to start the adventure that is the Selection and we're excited to see if the scandalous rehab rumors about this lovely blonde are true.

Colleen Barrett showed up today with sister, brother-in-law, and niece with her. While their goodbye was short and Colleen didn't seemed too excited about leaving, she later told reporters she was "excited to be going off on her own for the first time" and couldn't wait to finally live without her sister breathing down her neck all day.

Yorra Weston was all smiles and excitement as she bid her family goodbye and prepared to set off on her journey. She admitted to feeling nervous about all the changes and new experiences that were happening but overall she came off as enthusiastic and caring, qualities that a princess truly needs.

Jane Parker, or Clementine as she asked to be called at her sendoff, left a lasting impression when she recited a poem that she wrote about the Selection during her sendoff. Adela Hargrove also gave an impression with her stage fright and reluctance to talk with any camera or fan.

Azura Blackwell cracked jokes with the mayor of Sota during her sendoff while her friends and coworkers at Le Cirque des Rêves put on a last show for her while she was up onstage. Azura seemed very close to her coworkers and didn't want to leave them.

Vanessa Waltaz seemed grateful for the chance to leave and even though her family was with her she hardly spoke to them, even when saying goodbye. Phoebe Dunlap was similar, remaining emotionless and closed off all day so that no one is quite sure what she's like.

Sage Masters had an interesting family dynamic as she left. Her friends all seemed happy for her but her family was another matter. Her parents and sisters seemed thrilled for her while her brothers were furious at the prospect of her leaving. One of them went so far as to physically drag her away from the limo, but Lady Sage pushed him away and flipped him off before leaving. While this certainly shows her attitude and spunk, some people are wondering if such a girl truly is fit to be a princess.

Aria Benoit had her whole family there to send her off in style. She showed her dramatic roots, taking center stage and giving the crowd a rousing speech before blowing kisses at them and strutting over to the limo without a backward glance. While some people still can't tell her and Lady Kadence apart we think it's clear to see which of them has the sass and which one has the class.

Scarlet Drapeau left snowy Whites with a smile on her face as she bid her family goodbye and quickly entered the plane to get out of the cold.

Blaise Larkin's family all supported her at her sendoff but it was a rather emotionless event. She left her parents with handshakes rather than hugs and she remained closed off the whole day, not talking to any of the girls or reporters in the palace.

Zinnia Larrson was a true representation of her caste, uniting upper and lower ones in support of her. While her whole family and several friends came to see her off, what surprised everyone was the addition of her employers, the wealthy Carmichaels, who threw their support behind Zinnia wholeheartedly. None of the other girls were able to unite people as unanimously as Lady Zinnia did, and many people believe that this is a necessary quality in any princess.

Well there you have it folks, the thirty five young ladies of the Selection, and make sure to watch next week as the ladies join us on the Report for the first time! I'm David Fadaye and this has been the Illéa Capital Report."

The screen faded to black and Tris looked around her and saw that the other girls were just as enthralled as she had been.

Amelia quickly got up and went to the front of the room where she began explaining the rules of basic dining etiquette. Tristyn really did try to pay attention, but it was just _so_ boring and she'd had such a long day. She soon zoned out, waiting for dinner so that she could eat and then to to bed.

She perked up a bit when Amelia announced that they'd be meeting all of the princesses that night during dinner, but soon she was zoning out again. All of her thought revolved around one thing: tomorrow. Tomorrow she would meet Prince Brandon for the first time. Tomorrow she would learn whether she'd stay at the palace or go straight back to Belcourt. Tomorrow was when she'd officially have a chance to become a princess and fall in love. Tomorrow was when everything would change.

 **...**

 **Whoa, that ended up being waaaayyyyyy longer than I thought, hopefully you guys didn't mind. So that was the first night in the palace, along with some general background info for the story. I hope you guys liked seeing the girls sendoffs and the bit from the royal family, and as always let me know what you thought in a review. Whether you liked it or hated it I want to know so I can get better so let me know :).**

 **Ok, so I know that I said this chapter would be interviews and it wasn't, but next chapter definitely will be. For those of you who are on the Pinterest, please feel free to pin your character(s) interview dress there. It makes it easier for me and then you have a say in what they wear, so go ahead and let me know, pin it with their name somewhere in the description please.**

 **Another challenge I have for those of you on the board, is that I want a new cover for the story. For any of you who are good at graphic design or just want to give it a try, I would really appreciate it. You can make the cover and then pin it to the board. Once I get a bunch I'll pick one and use it for the story. Whoever makes the winning cover will get a prize of some sort. Maybe their character will get the first date, they can pick a girl to save from the first elimination, something like that. We can talk about it more later over PM. Hopefully you guys could help me out with that because it would be awesome.**

 **If you guys bothered to read all the way to the bottom of this crazy author's note then kudos to you, you rock!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Jen**


	16. First Impressions

**Alright guys here they are: THE INTERVIEWS! Huge thanks to everyone who,helped me out with this chapter and to the amazing people who reviewed:** PJLivingston, wolfofstark, XOStarbrightXO, 4Love4Love4, morethanjustastory, Cookiedoodles168, LeaGirlWriter22 and ApolloSerenity.

 **I'm gonna apologize in advance for the length of this chapter, it's nearly seven thousand words! All outfits are on the Pinterest for those of you who want to see them. They won't be described much because the chapter is from Brandon's POV and guys don't notice that stuff as much.**

 **Don't worry if your character isn't in this chapter, it means they'll be in the next one. Hope you guys like it!**

 **...**

Brandon paced back and forth in the hallway outside the Great a Room, wearing a track in the plush carpet.

He glanced down at his watch again, the tenth time in the last two minutes. Amelia had told him that he had to be there at exactly nine o'clock, so to Brandon that meant to be there at eight forty five. He'd been standing there waiting for nearly fifteen minutes and was a ball of nerves. He knew the girls and Amelia were inside, getting their lessons before he met them.

He hadn't slept at all the previous night and was very glad that he hadn't eaten yet because his stomach was tied up in knots.

He walked the length of the hallway again, not sure if he wanted time to speed up or standstill. He wasn't ready. As soon as he entered the door he would start interviewing girls and get his first impression of his future wife, and he was _not_ ready for it.

All of the advice he'd received was spinning through his head and for a minute Brandon really felt as if he'd be sick. Everyone had something they'd told him about his Selection and Brandon didn't know who to listen to. He'd never been very decisive.

The grandfather clock in the hallway chimed and Brandon jumped. It was time. Brandon raised his fist and knocked.

The doors swung open for him and all conversation in the room instantly stopped. All of the girls straightened up, adjusting their hair or dress, trying to make a good first impression. Brandon felt overwhelmed and he couldn't look at the girls. All of the names and facts he'd memorized flew out of his head and Brandon felt one of the crippling bouts of shyness that he'd thought he'd overcome overtake him at that moment. If Amelia hadn't been there then Brandon didn't know what he would have done.

She quickly walked over to him, her heels clicking loudly on the marble floor.

"Your Highness," she swept into a dramatic curtsy and all of the Selected followed suit, albeit more clumsily.

Brandon felt his face grow hot with embarrassment as he still remained silent.

"Isn't it about time you become acquainted with all of these lovely ladies?" she asked.

Brandon exhaled in relief. Thank goodness for Amelia. He would have to talk with his father about giving her a raise because boy did she deserve it.

He finally found his voice and took a deep breath before speaking, "Yes, I think so, Amelia," he turned to face the Selected but he didn't make out any individual faces, "Good morning ladies, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," he heard a few giggles and sighs and he took that as a good sign, "I know there's not much time, but I'd uh, I'd like to get to know you all a little bit." He took another breath to steady himself, he was doing better than her thought he would, "I'll be pulling you aside individually to talk with and hopefully we can get to know each other." The girls all remained silent so he decided to get started. "Lady London Banks," he called and watched as the pretty girl in a strapless blue and white dress came over. Her heels echoed in the silence and Brandon said, "Feel free to talk amongst yourselves and I'll be calling you all over at some point." He then offered his arm to London and they made their way to the far side of the room.

Brandon glanced behind him and saw a few girls chattering nervously and the cameras were going around talking to them as well. Brandon had allowed the cameras to be in the room on the condition that they stayed with the group and let him talk with the girls one on one. He wanted to truly get to know them, without the camera's interference.

As they walked, London looked at him and said, "You know you don't have to call me Lady. London is just fine."

Brandon smiled at her, "Only if you agree to call me just Brandon."

She smiled and nodded.

They reached the other side of the room where two armchairs had been setup facing each other. Brandon took the one in the corner and London sat across from him.

They sat in silence for a minute and when Brandon looked up he saw her eyes on him. She blushed and looked down.

"So," Brandon started, "tell me about yourself."

"Like what I do for a living or my family or what?" she wondered

Brandon smiled, "Whatever you want."

"Oh okay," she said and then launched into an excited explanation about her vlogs and how much she loved making them.

Brandon had to stop her, "Okay, don't hate me for asking this, but what's a vlog?"

London's mouth dropped open into a shocked "o", "You don't know what a _vlog_ is?" she asked incredulously.

Brandon shook his head, "Nope."

"It's a video blog," she explained, "Usually they have a topic and you stick to that, but in mine I talk about anything and everything."

"Oh," he said politely, still a bit confused and not seeing what the big deal about them was.

"I'm really lucky that mine are so popular, it's really hard to make a living by doing it. Most people just do it as a hobby but I've been making mine for so long and I have enough followers that companies pay me to review and talk about their products. It's actually really cool and I love doing it. And ever since I got into the Selection _London's Tower_ , that's my blog, has been blowing up, so I suppose I should thank you for that." she smiled at him.

"Well you're very welcome," he said back, "I've really enjoyed talking to you, but I have thirty four other girls that I need to talk with so I'll have to cut this short but I look forward to talking with you again soon."

"I do as well," she said formally and swept into a perfect curtsy before leaving.

Brandon looked down at the next form in his hand and called, "Miss Colleen Barrett."

A pretty girl with dark hair and a blush colored dress made her way over.

"Good morning, Lady Colleen," Brandon told her.

She didn't curtsy and just sat down, "Thanks. You too I suppose."

Before Brandon had a chance to say anything else she blurted out, "Am I doing this right?"

"What?"

"I mean I've never had a boyfriend or anything before and I'm not sure what to do. I'm a virgin and I've-" her face paled as she realized what she'd said and Brandon sat in shock as she continued, "I didn't mean that! Actually I did mean that, I am a virgin. There's a virginity law for crying out loud, but I didn't mean to say it!" she looked horrified at herself and Brandon wasn't sure what he could say to help her out.

She put her head in her hands for a minute before lifting it up and saying, "Do you think we could start over?"

Brandon was still in shock and all he could do was nod.

She seemed relieved, "Thanks. My name's Colleen Barrett, I'm a Four from Ottaro and coffee is my life." She went on to tell him that she'd lived with her older sister practically her whole life and had helped out in her café _The Coffee Bean_ growing up and that she'd joined the Selection to be less of a burden on her sister's family. She wanted to prove that she could go out on her own and be fine. "Mission accomplished on that point," she'd told him.

By the end Brandon had almost forgotten about her horrible beginning and Colleen gave him a small smile before she left.

Ginger Bell stood up and made her way over as all the girls watched her. She dropped into a perfect curtsy and it was clear she had practice doing it before. Her vivid red hair was pulled up on top of her head and she wore a simple baby blue dress.

"It's nice to meet you Lady Ginger," Brandon said.

"You too, Your Highness. I've dreamed about this since I found out I was in the Selection. It's not everyday you get to meet a real live Prince."

"I suppose that's true," he said diplomatically then asked, "Were you named for your hair?"

She nodded, pleased that he'd noticed, "I was. I'm the only redhead in my family besides my mom so she wanted to make sure people knew."

"That's nice but I'm afraid we're out of time." Ginger curtsied again as she left and Brandon called out the next girl, "Miss Aurora Bennett."

A girl with curly blonde hair wearing a modest white dress came over. Brandon couldn't help but notice that she looked angelic and wondered if she'd done it on purpose.

She curtsied primly before sitting down and saying, "Good morning Your Highness, how are you?"

Brandon smiled and said, "I'm quite well, and you?"

"I'm amazing. But isn't this kind of overwhelming for you? I mean I can barely keep most of the girls straight and I don't have to date them." With those few words she's cut right to the heart of Brandon's nerves.

He exhaled loudly, "Yes, it is quite overwhelming but I think I'll get used to it eventually," he confided then added, "but that's also _my_ problem and you shouldn't have to worry about that. I just want to get to know you."

Aurora blushed at his words, "Well I'm a Three and a novelist from Carolina. I actually didn't sign up for the Selection, my mother put my name in."

This intrigued Brandon, he'd thought all of the girls had wanted to be there, but he didn't interrupt her.

"I was mad at first because I had to leave home and my little sister, Alysa, but now that I'm here I'm so glad."

Brandon couldn't keep the smile off of his face, "Really?"

She nodded, "Yeah, it's nice to get a break from everything, you know? My mom is super controlling and it's nice to be able to make my own choices for once."

Brandon understood being controlled better than a lot of people, he was controlled by his parents and country everyday, so he related well to Aurora, "How controlling?" he asked.

"Very," she replied, "she always wanted me working on my books, I hardly had the chance to be a normal kid. I've never even had a puppy!" she exclaimed, aghast.

Brandon chuckled at her, "Well I hate to end our time on that note but I have more girls to get through. It was nice talking to you, Aurora, and I sincerely hope you get your puppy one day."

Brandon stood with her and brushed a light kiss over her hand and watched as her cheeks bloomed with color again before she turned and left.

Brandon looked at the next form, "Miss Aria Benoit."

When Brandon had first seen the two girls he thought he'd have trouble telling Kadence and Aria apart, but as he watched Aria sashay over, he knew that it would be no problem. She was wearing a pretty and modest light blue dress, but what really drew Brandon's eye was her bright red lipstick. He found himself staring at her lips and quickly looked away, his ears turning red.

"Hello, Lady Aria," Brandon greeted her.

"Hi," she chirped brightly as she sat down, then added, "Don't call me a lady though. I'm just Aria."

Brandon wanted to disagree. There was no "just" anything about this girl, everything about her drew the eye, but in a classy way.

"Only if you'll do the same for me," he replied.

She nodded and smiled. When she smiled at him Brandon found himself staring at her lips again. They were so full and such a bright red.

She laughed nervously, "So is there something I'm supposed to talk about?" she asked.

He jumped a bit at her voice, "No, just whatever you want to. You could tell me about your family or what you like to do."

"Okay," she paused for a moment and thought, "Well, I'm a live theater actress. I've always _loved_ getting into character. Stepping into someone else's shoes for a night and having their experiences, I just love it. It feels like I'm escaping my problems and taking on theirs and after their monumental struggles mine don't seem as bad anymore. My mom always said I must have been born in the spotlight because it's where I belong, but I'm actually not that good. I usually just get small background parts but I don't care because it's still fun." She paused again and Brandon thought over what she'd said, "As much as I love acting I'm not good enough at it to really make a living for myself. Fashion is what I really want to do. I started helping design costumes for the shows as a way to make extra money when I was younger, but as I got older I realized that I'm actually really good at it and I think it's what I want to do." She smirked at him and he heard a bit of bitterness in the next sentence, "Not that I'm able to do it as a Five, only _Twos_ are designers."

Brandon remained silent. He completely agreed with her. It wasn't fair that she couldn't pursue her passion because of where she was born, but he knew that he couldn't bash his father's policy even though he wanted to.

He grinned sheepishly at her, "Uh, sorry about that."

"Yeah, me too," she said wistfully.

Brandon wasn't sure what else he could say to that so he dismissed her and called up the next girl, "Miss Azura Blackwell."

A girl with light blonde hair and dark amber eyes that Brandon could see all the way from the other side of the room came over. She was wearing a strapless dress with a lacy see through skirt that was short in the front and long in the back. Brandon had to admit it showed off her attributes quite nicely.

When she was only a few feet away, Azura sneezed. Before Brandon could do anything she pulled a handkerchief out of seemingly thin air and blew her nose. Brandon's eyebrows shot up, nearly going off his forehead. She saw his surprised look and smirked before flicking her wrist and making the hankie disappear once again. Brandon had heard of people making things appear and disappear by hiding them up their sleeve, but the girl didn't even _have_ sleeves! He knew instantly that she had to be the circus performer.

He was right and Azura explained to him what it was like to work at _Le Cirque des Rêves_ , The Circus of Dreams. Half of the time Brandon couldn't tell if she was exaggerating her stories or not. She told him about the fire dancers, lion tamers, acrobats, and the other illusionist. Living at the circus was never boring. By the end Brandon didn't have a clear idea of her but he did know that he wanted to keep her around for a while longer.

"Miss Flara Blakes," he called as Azura returned to her seat.

As Flara stood up Brandon was struck, just like the first time he'd seen her, at how familiar she seemed. Her brown eyes held a mischievous glint and while her smile was pretty, it meant trouble. Brandon didn't know how he knew that, but he did. He was actually shocked she'd made it into the Selection in the first place. Her books about royal life had been quite the scandal, and when his father has caught Nat reading them he'd ranted about Flara for days.

She reached the chairs and curtsied to him. When she sat down he saw the gleam in her eye and knew he'd seen it before. He just couldn't remember where.

"Good morning Lady Flara," he told her.

She snorted at that, "I am _not_ a lady," she informed him.

He chuckled at her fire, "Alright, well then when I'm around you I'm not a prince." He'd meant it as a joke, but Flara looked completely serious when she answered.

"Being a prince isn't something you can escape, whether you want to or not. You have a duty and responsibility to people, the people of Illéa. You can't let them down or put the burden on someone else. It's _yours_."

She looked at Brandon with such seriousness that he could only nod. She seemed satisfied with that and left.

Brandon took a minute to regain his composure before calling up the next girl, Elody Bond.

Despite being an Eight, Elody was quite graceful as she made her way over, her hips swinging in the simple grey dress.

She sat down across from Brandon and studied him. He did the same to her. She was unlike any Eight he'd ever seen before. Not that he'd seen many.

Finally he broke the silence and said, "It's nice to meet you Lady Elody, could you tell me about yourself?"

She continued her silence then said, "Well I'm an Eight, but I suppose you already knew that. I'm also a street performer. I have a guitar that I've had practically _forever_ and even though it's old and broken, it still works and I love it. Many times that guitar has saved my life by giving me a way to make money for food."

"Wait," Brandon said confused, "You're an Eight. How did you learn to play the guitar?"

"I wasn't always an Eight," she said as if he should already know, "most Eights don't grow up as one. They get demoted because of a bunch of stupid laws," despite her words Brandon didn't feel like she was accusing him of anything, just stating a fact.

"So if you weren't an Eight then what were you?" he wondered.

Elody held her head high as she answered, "A Two."

Brandon tried to hide his shock. Going from Two to Eight was just about the worst fall she could have taken.

Brandon was immensely curious, he knew he shouldn't ask but the question slipped out anyway, "What happened?"

"Well. . ." she started then stopped, "Can we not talk about this? Like seriously, _anything_ but that. And actually," she blushed a bit as she said the next part, "we don't get to eat until you're done with interviews, right?"

Brandon nodded.

"Well I'm starving. I haven't had a proper meal in over a year so I want to do my part to get the interviews done in a timely manner so we can eat."

She got up and left, leaving Brandon staring after her in shock.

He quickly shook it off and called, "Miss Seraphina Casteel."

Seraphina stood up and Brandon's breath hitched. She. Was. _Gorgeous_. Brandon had read on her form that she was a professional escort so he'd known she would be pretty but he hadn't been sure what to expect and he was blown away.

She was wearing a classy red dress with a high neckline but when she turned around her slender back was exposed. As she got closer Brandon was shocked to see that in her heels she was as tall as he was, 6'2". Brandon took her hand and kissed it lightly, sending a rush of color into her cheeks and making them as red as her dress.

"Good morning, Lady Seraphina."

"Good morning, Your Highness," she said shyly.

This was a girl that Brandon truly wanted to get to know so he asked her the question that would let him know the most about her, "Could you tell me about yourself?"

Seraphina nodded, "I love reading, especially poetry, and watching movies. I come from a family of Sevens and I'm the second of four kids. I have one older brother, Graham, he's amazing. He always looks out for me and he did everything he could so that I could quit my job as an escort but it was really hard," her voice was full of emotion as she talked about her family and that was something Brandon really admired, "then there's my two little sisters, Rania and Selena. They're adorable, I would do anything for them," her voice became husky as she kept talking and Brandon wasn't sure if she was doing it on purpose or if it was just habit from her time as an escort, "I have to thank you. The Selection has already done so much for them," she reached out and took his hand. Brandon felt his heart rate quicken, "I don't know what we would have done if I hadn't been Selected." She smiled at him and kept ahold of his hand for another minute.

Brandon cleared his throat before speaking, "Well I'm very glad the Selection has helped you out, Lady Seraphina but I'm afraid we're out of time."

She nodded in understanding and stood up, as she turned to leave she told him, "Please don't call me Lady. Seraphina or even Sera is fine."

Brandon smile at her retreating form and said, "Miss Everly Castle."

Everly was a little on the short side, but with her three inch heels she reached an average height; however, her face was quite round and gave her a somewhat childish appearance, her strawberry blonde hair was left down to frame it, but it didn't really work.

Brandon gave her the same questions he'd asked most of the other girls and said, "Tell me about yourself."

"I'm a Three from Hundson and I work in a library. I'm an only child and I hate it."

Brandon chuckled.

She turned to him and said jokingly, "It's not like you would know anything about that, mister I-have-four-siblings. If I didn't have my best friend I don't know what I would do. Being an only child is incredibly lonely."

"I can imagine," Brandon said, and he could, "but trust me, _everyone_ with siblings has wished they were an only child at some point. Myself included."

"Really?" she asked.

"Oh yeah," Brandon nodded, "trust me, growing up with Ryan as an older brother was no picnic. One time when we were in Italy we went on an "adventure" outside the palace and Ryan locked me an underground tunnel he'd found."

"No!" Everly gasped.

"He did," Brandon insisted then added, "it was the scariest ten minutes of my life."

Everly burst out laughing at that, "You were only there ten minutes. I thought it was for hours."

Brandon shook his head, trying not to smile. He had to defend himself, "When you're eight years old and your manipulative older brother tells you you're about to run out of oxygen, it's pretty scary!"

Everly laughed again and Brandon realized how long he'd spent talking to her. He knew he had to get through the rest of the girls so he regretfully dismissed her and called, "Miss Grayson Chandler."

Grayson stood up and Brandon immediately saw why Ryan had liked her so much. She was much more his type than Brandon's with her practically waist length pale blonde hair and hourglass figure. Brandon recalled from her form that she was a model and he could see why. She was wearing a skin tight black dress that was incredibly short and showed off her mile long legs. Thank goodness the neckline was high, because if it wasn't Brandon was pretty sure he would've combusted right on the spot. His face was hot as he watched her strut over to him looking for all the world like she was on a runway. She reached Brandon and gave him the best curtsy she could in her skin tight dress. She sat down, crossed her legs, and Brandon finally felt his face cool down as he looked into her ice blue eyes.

He stuttered a bit as he spoke, still trying to regain his composure, "What do you like to do for fun?"

"Fun?" she smirked at him and he saw a dangerous spark in her eye.

"Yes," he said warily, a bit scared of her answer, but it surprised him.

"I like photography."

"Really?" he asked, not sure if he'd heard her right.

She gave a decisive nod, not sure if he was making fun of her or not, "And scrapbooking."

Brandon pondered that information for a minute. He hadn't expected that, especially not with all of the information he'd learned about her that wasn't on her Selection form. She'd dropped out of college early on, wanting to focus on her modeling career, but sources said that she'd been found at parties nearly every night, fully drunk and high on drugs. Her parents caught on after years of it and sent her to rehab only after Grayson had thrown herself off of a twelve foot landing and sustained serious injuries. She'd only been out of rehab a few months when she entered the Selection. A girl like that Brandon hadn't expected to like scrapbooking.

"You mean you don't like," he mimed drinking out of a bottle and her face grew red.

"Not anymore," she said tersely, "that was the old me. I entered this competition to show everyone that I really have changed, so I would _appreciate_ it if you wouldn't judge me for my past."

She didn't even give Brandon time to answer before she turned and stormed off. Brandon wasn't quite sure what to make of her, but he knew he didn't want her gone just yet.

"Miss Cosmina Dragomir," he said.

Cosmina made her way over to Brandon and she, like Aurora, was wearing white. But while Aurora had looked like an angel, Brandon thought Cosmina looked like a snowflake. Her dress had lacey sleeves that hooked on her arms and left her shoulders bare and a skirt that poofed out and ended at her knees. Her dark hair was curled and her blue eyes sparkled. She looked radiant.

When she reached him Brandon stood up, took her hand, and kissed it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Cosmina."

"You too, Your Highness," she said with a curtsy.

As she say down Brandon asked her to tell him about herself.

"Well," she started with a slight accent, "I grew up in Romania for most of my life and then I moved to Illéa when I was fifteen."

"And how do you like the country?" Brandon wondered.

She smiled, "It's lovely, though the castes were a bit strange to get used to."

"I imagine so," he told her. He could only imagine what it was like to live where a number didn't define you and your future wasn't preordained before you were born.

"Once we moved here I got to pursue my passion, so that was fun."

"What is your passion?" Brandon asked, though he was pretty sure he already knew after having read her form.

She smiled brightly, "Fencing," then she added, with a note of pride in her voice, "I was the first foreigner to win Illéa's National Fencing Championship."

"Really?" Brandon asked, impressed.

She nodded, "Two years in a row. I was training for my third year but I was Selected," her voice wasn't bitter when she said that, which made Brandon very happy.

"I also love figure skating," she said and then asked, "What are your passions, Your Highness?"

Brandon had to think about that. What was there that he was passionate about? He liked reading and learning, he was constantly called a nerd by his older brothers, but he wouldn't say those were his passions. And while he was very good at diplomacy, it wasn't something he enjoyed at all, it was much more Brook's thing than his.

Finally he had his answer.

"First of all," he started, "you don't have to call me Your Highness, just Brandon is fine, and my passion is art."

"Art?" she asked.

"Yes, all kinds of art. Music, photography, drawing, painting, anything creative I guess. I like having a way to stick out from my siblings." He didn't realize how true it was until he said it out loud.

"I get that," Cosmina said, "I have four siblings too but I have the advantage of being the only girl. That tends to make you stand out a bit."

Brandon chuckled but when he looked up he saw Amelia gesturing at him frantically and he realized how much time he'd spent with Cosmina.

"Lady Cosmina, I fear our time is up, but I enjoyed talking with you, maybe we could do it again sometime."

Cosmina smiled, "I'd like that." Than she left and Brandon called the next girl, Scarlet Drapeau.

She stood up wearing a sparkly gold dress that clashed horribly with her bright auburn hair.

When she reached Brandon she stared at him for a moment before spinning around in a circle and exclaiming, "I can't _believe_ I'm really here!" Then she plopped down in the plush armchair in the most unladylike way possible. Out of the corner of his eye Brandon saw Amelia wince then shoot a glare at the unsuspecting Scarlet.

"Well you are," Brandon started.

"I _know_!" she burst out again, "It's incredible! Everything here is so big and beautiful!"

Brandon winced at her loud tone and tried to discreetly cover his ears.

"Alright, Lady Scarlet," Brandon tried to talk but again she interrupted him.

"Oh you don't have to call me a lady! I'm just little ol' me."

"Okay, _Lady_ Scarlet," Brandon said, putting emphasis on the lady. He saw her open her mouth again and quickly said, "I'm afraid it's a formality and just habit for me, please excuse it," then before she had a chance to interrupt he said, "tell me about yourself." Even if her manners were terrible, Brandon decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"Well I'm the middle child of three and I work in my family bakery, but I've always wanted to be a professional singer."

And then she did it. She burst into song right then and there, causing every head in the room to whip around and stare at them. She was singing some opera song that Brandon could hardly understand, he thought it was in a different language. Her voice carried throughout the room, and while there was no denying it was lovely, Brandon felt his face burn with shame. He heard a few of the other girls giggling and he tried his best to shush Scarlet, but she was so focused on her song she didn't notice.

Finally she finished and turned to Brandon beaming, wanting to see what he thought. Then she heard the other girls laughing and turned. They were still staring at her, and instead of becoming upset Scarlet stood up and gave a mock bow to them. Brandon had to admire her confidence.

Brandon seized his chance once she was up, "I'm afraid that's all the time we have, if you could return to your seat now please."

"Already?" she pouted.

Brandon nodded.

As she turned away she told him, "I'll see you later, Brandon."

 _Not likely_ , he thought before calling up the next girl.

Phoebe Dunlap didn't look any better after her makeover then she had before it. She did look cleaner though. She just wasn't a particularly pretty girl and there was no changing that. Her hair was a dull, mousy brown and her eyes were the same shade. Overall she just looked quite boring. Brandon felt bad for judging her for her appearance but she was making it overly easy.

She reached him and when she didn't sit down Brandon motioned to the chair, hoping she'd take the hint. She didn't.

"Is something wrong, Lady Phoebe?"

Her lips pressed into a pout, "Well, yes. You kissed Aurora's hand and Sera's and Cosmina's."

How did she know who's hand he had kissed? Had she been watching that closely? "Yes?" he asked, not seeing where she was going.

"And aren't you going to kiss mine too? It would _only_ be fair."

Brandon mentally rolled his eyes but complied so she would sit down. She held onto his hand a moment too long and Brandon gently removed it from her grip.

"Oh my goodness," she exclaimed, "You just _kissed_ my hand! I'm at the palace and the _Prince of Illéa_ just kissed me!"

Brandon felt compelled to point out that it was only because she'd made such a big deal about him doing it but he didn't get a chance.

"I think I might have a heart attack! Here feel," she reached out and grabbed Brandon's hand, placing it on her heart, which was indeed racing. Brandon felt his own heart speed up in response to her proximity, and not in a good way. She reached out a hand and felt it, "Yours is racing too! It's a sign, I just knew we were meant to be. We're going to live happily ever after and grow old together and it will be perfect!" With each sentence she leaned closer to him until they were only a few inches apart then she whispered, "I think I love you."

Brandon flew backwards so fast his chair almost tipped over. Why would she say that? They'd met two minutes ago.

"That's all the time we have unfortunately. It was nice meeting you," he lied.

Before she had a chance to say anything else Brandon looked down at the list in his hand for the next girl. He was relieved to see a familiar name even if it wasn't someone he'd thought he would like. After two girls who were so wrong for him Brandon at least knew that Shevonne Ellington would have manners and a sense of personal space.

She stood up and Brandon saw that she was wearing her signature color: gold. She had on a sparkly gold dress that ended about halfway down her thighs with a slight V-neck.

Thankfully Shevonne sat down without making Brandon kiss her hand.

"How are you, Lady Shevonne?" Brandon asked her.

"Pretty good, and you, Your Highness?"

He mimicked her words back at her, "Pretty good. Could you tell me about yourself, Shevonne?"

"There's not much to tell. I'm an only child and my father left when I was little. Growing up it was just me and my mom, but I don't really want to talk about her. I moved out when I was fifteen and I've been on my own ever since but I've had a good job so it's really not that bad. I'm kind of a loner anyway so I don't mind."

While Brandon was processing that she took her chance, "What about _you_ , Prince Brandon? Anything you'd like to share? What's it _really_ like growing up in a palace?"

Brandon smirked at her. He knew whatever answer he gave would be plastered all over the gossip magazines tomorrow. From watching _Stars and Scandals_ with Brook, Brandon knew that Shevonne always wanted dirt, and she usually got it.

"And that's all the time we have today," he said sounding like a show host, "Tune in next week and maybe you'll get some answers."

Shevonne smiled at him and turned to go. Brandon wasn't quite sure what he felt about her but he wasn't ready to get rid of her just yet. Plus he knew Brook would _kill_ him if he eliminated Shevonne in the first round.

"Miss Anya Emerson," Brandon said.

Anya made her way over wearing a white dress that was covered in bright blue and purple flowers and a pair of white flats.

"It's nice to meet you, Lady Anya."

"The pleasure is mine, Prince Brandon."

Brandon wasn't sure how to start the conversation. He didn't want to offend her because of her caste. Elody had started talking and made it easier but Brandon didn't want to mess up with Anya.

"Tell me about yourself, Lady Anya."

She blushed at his words, "I'm not a lady. I'm homeless and I live on the streets just hoping to find enough food to survive each day. I'm the farthest thing from a lady you'll ever see." She wouldn't meet his eyes as she talked.

Brandon's gaze softened when he looked at her, "Not anymore you're not. You're a Three now and you can do _anything_ you want."

"That's right," she said brightening, "Thank you, Your Highness."

"Call me Brandon."

"Okay," she said blushing again.

"It was nice to meet you, Anya."

"You too, Brandon," she said as she left.

Brandon smiled as he saw who the next girl was and eagerly called her up.

Amaretta Foster was someone that Brandon had wanted to meet since he first saw her. Her appearance was a bit strange but Brandon found her intriguing and couldn't wait to meet her.

She looked nice in her white dress. It had long sleeves with intricate cutouts all over them and it ended at her thighs, leaving her freckly legs exposed. She was also wearing a pair of tall white heels.

As she got close she looked up and met Brandon's gaze. He smiled at her and as she smiled back she stumbled in her heels and threw her hands out to stop her fall, catching herself on the armchair. She got her balance back then quickly crossed to the other side of the armchair and sat down before she could fall again.

"Great, the first thing and I've already messed up. Hopefully it's not enough to get me eliminated," her tone was joking but Brandon heard her nerves behind it.

He chuckled, "Hardly. Tripping over those ridiculous shoes is not nearly enough to get you eliminated."

" _Ridiculous_?" she asked, pretending to be offended, "I'm quite fond of them."

"Is that so?"

She nodded, smiling, "So fond I wanted to take a trip with them."

Brandon laughed at her terrible joke, "I suppose that was your _pun_ ishment."

She laughed again and then asked, "So what _would_ be enough to get me kicked out?"

Brandon thought for a moment about the girls he would be eliminating, "Well saying that you're in love with me two minutes after we met is one way."

"Darn, there goes my plan," she joked, then realized he was serious, " _No way_! Someone actually did that!?"

"I'm afraid so," he said then added, "and a man can only handle _one_ declaration of unrequited love a day, so you'll just have to wait."

Her joking tone was back, "Tomorrow then?"

"I may still be in recovery but you're welcome to try."

She giggled at him and Brandon wasn't ready to end the conversation but he knew he had to.

"I'm sorry, Lady Amaretta but I'm afraid our time is up and I still have quite a few girls to meet."

She nodded in understanding, "Could you please call me Amara though? Amaretta is seriously a mouthful."

He smiled, "Only if you call me Brandon."

"Deal."

Brandon watched her walk away with a smile on his face. That was the most comfortable he'd felt with any of the girls so far. For the first time that morning his butterflies had disappeared enough that he actually felt hungry. But he also felt confident. He _could_ do this. He was already halfway done with meeting the girls and for the most part nothing bad had happened.

Brandon felt his confidence grow a bit more as he took a deep breath and called up the next girl.

 **...**

 **Oh my gosh that was a long chapter! If you think that was tedious to read then just try writing it! Hopefully you guys made it all the way through that. If you did then leave me a review letting me know what you thought and who the standouts were in this chapter. Who are your favorites and who so you think should go home? Just let me know what you thought. Also for those of you who are wondering, the interviews are alphabetically by last name and this was the first half.**

 **HUGE thanks to everyone who pinned dresses for me and who made covers. They all look AMAZING! Thank you so much!**

 **I don't think there's anything else to say, hope you guys liked part one of the interviews.**

 **~ A very tired Jen**


	17. Getting to Know You

**Hey guys! How are you all? Sorry this chapter took so long but I had to write 18 interviews! Hopefully the next chapter will be out sooner since I won't have that many different parts to write. Special shoutout to** Scarlett Brinnley Brookson **for stepping up and helping me out and to her and** 4Love4Love4 **for helping inspire me to finish this chapter. Also, check out the new cover! It was made by the amazing** LeaGirlWriter22 **! There's a bigger version of it on the Pinterest, and it's fantastic! And a huge thanks to all of my amazing reviewers, you guys rock I seriously can't believe how many reviews this story has gotten and the support it has, you guys are the best! Especially** wolfofstark, ApolloSerenity, 4Love4Love4, and LeaGirlWriter22 **for their INSANELY long reviews! And to** morethanjustastory, XOStarbrightXO, Cookiedoodles168, PJ Livingston, and LadyAnj **for their reviews and constant support.**

 **I've kept you waiting long enough. Here's the next chapter of interviews.**

 **...**

Brandon's stomach growled for the first time that morning as he watched Callista de la Fuente waltz over. She looked stunning in her cream and teal dress. Brandon realized that he had finally stopped feeling nervous and now that he was ready, he was hungry.

Callista reached him and dropped into a beautiful curtsy.

He greeted her, "Good morning, Lady Callista."

She smiled, "It most definitely is."

They sat in silence for a minute before Callista said, "Is there something I'm supposed to say?"

"Just tell me about yourself," Brandon said.

"Okay," when she smiled Brandon could tell that she was very outgoing and knew conversations with her would never be a problem, "I'm a Four and my family owns a jewelry store. I work there with my mom, grandmother, and little sister Tatiana. I also have two younger brothers, Miguel and Marco, but they're too young to work yet."

"So you're the oldest?" Brandon asked.

She nodded, "Yeah and I love all of my siblings but sometimes I just want to strangle them," she said with an affectionate shake of her head.

"I totally understand," Brandon agreed.

"I also like working at the jewelry store but I don't think it's what I want to do with my life."

"What _do_ you want to do?" He asked.

"I've always loved writing and I think I want to be a writer, but I never had the chance as a Four."

Brandon smiled at her, "Now you're a Three, so you can pursue literature as much as you want."

"I know," she said smiling, "thank you for that."

Brandon smiled and kissed her hand, "You're welcome," he said before dismissing her.

"Miss Monica Hamilton," he called.

Monica was wearing a black dress with thick white stripes down both sides. She was unrecognizable from her application picture. The makeover had definitely helped Monica for the better. Brandon felt bad for judging the girl for her appearance but being constantly in the public eye was it really so bad to hope for someone attractive? Her hair was shorter and much much cleaner. The makeup worked wonders on her and Brandon noticed her eyes for the first time, they were a bright blue and quite pretty. She smiled as she curtsied and Brandon saw that her teeth were still crooked but they paled in comparison to the rest of her.

"It's nice to meet you, Lady Monica."

"Likewise Your Highness, but please just call me Mona."

"If you'll do the same to me. I'm Brandon."

"Alright."

"What do you do for a living, Mona?"

"I'm a photojournalist," she said, "I take pictures for newspapers and magazines to accompany the articles. Sometimes there's a story that's just pictures and those are my favorites. There's no words so I have to get creative to get the pictures to say the story by themselves."

"That sounds like fun," Brandon said, thinking of all the times he spent outside trying to get the perfect photo. Maybe Mona had some tips for him.

"It is," she agreed, "but I've actually always wanted to be an investigative journalist and _write_ the stories instead."

"That's nice," he said, "I hope you get to do that someday, but for now I'm afraid we're out of time."

Mona nodded then stood up and went back to her seat.

The first thing Brandon noticed about Lady Adela Hargrove was her size. She was _tiny_. Even though she was wearing heels, Brandon was almost a foot taller than her.

She dropped into the briefest of curtsies before sitting down.

"Good morning, Lady Adela."

"Thank you," she whispered.

Brandon waited for her to start talking and when she didn't he said, "Tell me about yourself."

"I'm a horse jockey," she said still whispering.

He thought she was going to expand on it but that was all she said.

"Anything else?" he wondered.

"I also play the piano, but horses are really what I love."

"Thank you Lady Adela, but our time is up now."

She nodded and left without another word.

"Miss Blaise Larkin," said Brandon.

Blaise stood up and the only word Brandon could think of to describe her was striking. She was wearing a short black dress that hardly covered anything and had sheer, wrist length sleeves that flowed down in a regal way. Her long, muscular legs drew the eye as she walked over.

"Lady Blaise," Brandon greeted.

She inclined her head but didn't curtsy, not that she could in her dress, as she sat down. She focused her intense brown eyes on him and Brandon felt as if she was calculating every move he was making.

"Tell me about yourself," Brandon said to end the silent staring contest.

She studied Brandon a bit more before she answered.

"I'm a girl who doesn't like to be trapped."

"You feel trapped here?" he asked.

"Anywhere you are not free to come and go as you please and have guards keeping you trapped is a _cage_."

Brandon raised his eyebrows at her.

"An extravagant cage," she conceded, "but still a cage."

"I'm sorry you feel that way. I hope that with time your thoughts will change?" He left a questioning note in his voice, giving her the choice to request to leave.

"I doubt it," she said, but didn't ask to go home.

"Maybe someday you'll find something worth being caged for," Brandon suggested with a shy smile.

She didn't smile back. Brandon guessed that her smiles were hard to earn, but he intended to get one.

" _Never_ ," she practically snarled.

"I hope you enjoy the rest of your day anyway and unfortunately our time is up."

She left without saying goodbye and Brandon was left to puzzle over why he felt so intrigued by her, despite the fact she clearly loathed him.

He shook off thoughts of Blaise and called up the next girl, "Miss Zinnia Larrson."

Zinnia was wearing a pretty pale pink dress and a huge smile on her face. She bounded over to Brandon, steady in her three inch heels.

" _Hi_ ," she breathed in greeting.

Brandon smiled at her, "Hi yourself."

She blushed as she sat down and Brandon felt his own cheeks redden in response.

Brandon felt no need to be formal with her so he started with "Zinnia," and smiled when he saw her exuberant reaction to the casual greeting, "Just tell me something random about yourself."

She thought for a minute before saying, "I love birthdays."

"Really?" Brandon asked, shocked. Out of everything she could have said he wasn't expecting that.

She nodded, "They're a huge deal in my life. It's one of the few days of the year that I got off from my job as a maid. That's actually how I was able to sign up for the Selection. It was my friend Aislynn's birthday and we got the night off to celebrate."

"That sounds like fun," Brandon said.

"It was!" She said enthusiastically, "My birthday's actually coming up _really_ soon. It's about a week after Princess Natalie's, on the seventeenth. It's my golden birthday and I can't wait!"

Her enthusiasm was contagious and Brandon couldn't hide his smile as he asked, "What do you like to do for fun?"

She answered immediately, "I like listening to music, watching movies, and I _love_ to bake."

Brandon smirked at her, "Those all sound like things you would do on a date."

He took a ridiculous amount of pleasure in seeing her cheeks color again. It was so easy to make them do that, and pretty adorable too.

She kept her head high as she answered, "Well I wouldn't know. I've never been on a date."

"Neither have I," Brandon admitted, then corrected, "at least not a _real_ one."

Zinnia nodded again, "I was married once though, way back in preschool."

Brandon chuckled at the thought but saw Amelia gesture at him to move on. He realized he'd spent more time with Zinnia than any of the other girls.

"As much as I'd love to hear that story, I'm afraid we're out of time. Maybe next time?"

Zinnia nodded again and returned to her seat as Brandon called up the next girl, Taylor Lawrence.

Taylor stood up and smiled sweetly at Zinnia as they passed each other. Then she turned her gaze to Brandon. Her bright blue eyes looked him up and down and she gave him a sexy smirk as she strode over. Brandon felt his heart rate pick up as she came closer. She was wearing a short black dress that left her legs exposed. It had slits on the sides and right in the middle of her abdomen, leaving her covered and appropriate but allowing Brandon's mind to imagine what was there. Her long blonde hair fell in waves nearly to her waist.

She reached Brandon and curtsied before sitting down. As she did, her skirt hiked up even more, exposing more of her slender thighs. Brandon tried hard not to look, but he was only human and when she crossed her long legs his eyes wandered down again.

When he sheepishly looked up she met his eyes knowingly. Her eyes seemed to say, _It's okay to look, I know how great I am._

"It's nice to meet you, Lady Taylor," Brandon greeted her.

She smiled at him, "The pleasure is _all_ mine, Prince Brandon."

Brandon smiled back at her, "Tell me about yourself."

"Well, I'm a model. I actually wanted to be a singer, but everyone told me that I had a good shape for modeling, so I tried that and I was good at it."

Brandon nodded, she most definitely was good at it, and she knew exactly how to use her assets, "I've heard that you're an actress too, is that correct?" Brook had told him all kinda of things about how Taylor was on the show and even shown him some clips. They weren't very flattering, but Brandon wanted to judge her for how she really was, not her television show.

Taylor nodded slowly, "If you can even call it _acting_. It's 'reality' TV so we have a script and try to get as much drama as possible to get better ratings. I just do what the director tells me to, even though some of the things have given me a bad reputation."

She leaned forward, and as she did the neckline of her dress dipped lower and Brandon averted his eyes, his ears reddening. She placed a hand on his leg and he felt his pulse jump at her touch.

"You're not going to judge me based on that are you?" she wondered, sounding nervous, "that's not who I really am. It's just an act for the cameras, you understand that don't you?"

Brandon did. He understood all too well what the pressures of cameras and people's opinion could do to you.

"Of. . . of course," he stammered, still focusing on her hand that was burning a hole through his pants as she massaged circles on his leg, "I want to get to know the _real_ you."

She smiled a sweet smile at him, "I'd like that," Brandon felt the spark leave his leg as she reached up and held his hand in her slim one.

Brandon held her hand a minute longer before he said, "I'm afraid we're out of time, but it was a pleasure talking to you."

Taylor giggled as she left and Brandon called up Sage Masters.

Sage stood up, she was wearing a very short dress- shorter than Taylor's- and it left her long muscular legs exposed. It was a casual dress that was plaid with black and red squares that brought attention to her bright red hair and grey eyes.

"Good morning, Lady Sage," he greeted.

"Thanks," she said with a smirk as she sat down.

"What do you do?" He asked her.

"Like for a job?"

"Sure," he answered.

"Well _technically_ I work at my parents' restaurant, but I only do that a few days a week. For the most part I'm in training."

She had a mysterious spark in her eye that prompted Brandon to ask, "Training for what?"

"I'm a top secret government officer. I've spent my while life preparing for this moment."

"What moment?" Brandon asked, intrigued.

"The Selection! I know everything about all of the girls here and my job is to keep you safe and make sure you pick the right girl for the country, I'm not actually a contestant."

She said it with such sincerity that Brandon was speechless.

Finally he blurted out, "No way! _Really_?"

"No!" Sage exploded into laughter and Brandon couldn't help but join her.

"I want to be a professional runner," she said once she'd calmed down, "I train for that most of the time. I'm almost good enough to make the national team. I just need to shave a few seconds off of my time and I'll make it."

"Really?" Brandon asked, doubtful after her first answer.

She looked at him, pretending to be offended that he'd doubt her. She dramatically placed her hand over her heart and said, "Would I lie to you? Of course I'm a runner."

He smiled at her theatrics, "Then I wish you the best of luck with that," Brandon told her.

"Thanks," she said and then smirked again, "but don't expect me to cut back my training just because I'm in some fancy pants competition."

Brandon smiled back as she went to take her seat, "I wouldn't dream of it."

Once Sage was back in her seat Brandon said, "Miss Miami Melrose."

Miami was a sweet looking girl with a charming smile. She was wearing a long black dress with sheer sleeves on her shoulders so that they were visible. She curtsied to Brandon as she sat down.

"It's nice to meet you, Lady Miami," he greeted her.

She giggled, "You probably say that to all the girls, but thanks anyway."

"No," Brandon shook his head, "not all of them, and I meant it for you."

She giggled again and then the two sat in silence for a minute.

Brandon broke the silence and asked, "What do you like to do, Lady Miami?"

She thought before answering, "I like to roller skate, but singing and acting are what I love. I was a Five before I became a Six and I loved to act, especially in musicals."

"That's nice," Brandon said. He wondered about her change in caste but he decided not to ask about it. If she didn't volunteer the information then he probably wasn't ready to hear it.

"Yeah," Miami agreed, "it was always fun. I can't act anymore because I'm a waitress. I mean, that's okay, but I'm glad that I'm a Three now and have more options."

Her tone was optimistic and Brandon smiled along with her, "I'm happy for you, but I'm afraid we're out of time now."

Miami nodded and amicably returned to her seat.

"Miss Kennedy O'Brian," he said.

Kennedy came over. She was wearing a dark green dress with straps that tied at her neck and her dark hair was pulled back.

She bobbed into a short curtsy before sitting down.

"Lady Kennedy," he greeted her.

Kennedy nodded but didn't say anything. It appeared she was even shyer than Brandon.

"Tell me about yourself, Lady Kennedy."

Kennedy remained silent for a while then finally whispered, "I'm a fashion designer. I run the label _Astrid_ with my two best friends."

"That's nice," Brandon said. He wasn't up to date on fashion and had never even heard of _Astrid_ , but he knew Brook probably had.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kennedy burst into tears.

Brandon instantly stiffened, not sure what to do. Kennedy just bawled harder.

"Are. . . are you okay?"

She shook her head.

Brandon had no clue what to do. He glanced at Amelia for help, but she was in the middle of reprimanding some of the Selected and didn't see his cry for help.

Cautiously he reached out and patted her on the shoulder. Well, tried to pat her. It came out more like a sharp poke and Kennedy looked up.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Brandon asked, nervously licking his lip.

"I want to go home!" Kennedy wailed.

"Why?" Brandon asked. What had he done in less than two minutes to make her want to leave the palace for good and not even get to know him?

"I didn't want to sign up. My best friend talked me into it. I'm in love with someone else and I know that when I go home he's going to be there waiting for me, and I want to see him."

Brandon understood that but he was still a bit disappointed that she was asking to leave. He shouldn't have been though, one less girl made his life much easier.

"If that would make you happy, then I can see to it that you're on the first flight back once I'm done interviewing the rest of the girls."

Her face filled with relief and she smiled, "Thank you, Your Highness."

"You're welcome, Lady Kennedy," he told her as she left the corner and went back to the other girls.

Brandon was still puzzling over Kennedy's leaving as he called up the next girl, Juliet O'Shea.

Juliet was a pretty girl with what Brandon could only describe as orange hair. It was a reddish orange color and very bright. She was wearing a white dress that showed off her legs. It had wrist length sleeves and a deep V back.

When she smiled at him, Brandon stared at her eyes. He'd thought they were green in her Report picture, then on the show they appeared amber, but now that he saw them in person he wasn't sure what they were. They had some green and some brown, maybe they were hazel.

Brandon tried to shake off thoughts of Kennedy and focus on Juliet, but he was still distracted as he said, "Good morning, Lady Juliet."

Her smile brightened, "It really is, isn't it?"

Brandon looked up at her. The greeting was just what he'd been saying, he hadn't actually thought about whether or not the morning was good. All he thought about it was that it was long.

"I _love_ days like this," she said and pointed out the nearest window, "it looks like it might rain later."

Brandon looked out and saw that she was right. There were gray clouds blocking out the sun but it was still light out and not ominous looking. It would actually be a good day to be outside in Angeles because the clouds would cool things off while still being a warm and nice day.

"You like the rain?" he asked.

She nodded, "I love it. I know most people don't like it, but I find it comforting."

"Really?" he asked, most people thought the rain was dreary and depressing.

She nodded, "When I was little, every time it rained, my sister Stella and I would rush outside. I had these little pink rain boots that my dad gave me and Stella had some that were blue. We'd put them on then run outside and jump in puddles and dance in the rain for hours. Those days are some of my favorite memories and it's because of them that I wanted to be a dancer. I love the sense of calm it brings me, like dancing in a rainstorm did. I wanted to have that comfort all of the time."

Brandon thought over her words and smiled at the thought of a little Juliet splashing around in pink boots.

"I also like the rain because it cleanses. Sometimes even the sky needs to cry, but once it's done everything else looks new and clean. And besides, without the rain nothing would ever grow."

"You know, I never thought of it like that." Brandon told her.

She smiled at him, "Most people don't."

Brandon stood up and she stood with him, "I suppose that's true," he told her, then pressed a kiss to her hand and watched as a blush spread across her cheeks.

Once Juliet was back in her seat, Brandon called out, "Miss Jane Parker."

Jane stood up and walked over. She was wearing a simple red dress with her dark hair in a braid down her back.

"It's nice to meet you, Lady Jane."

"You as well, Your Majesty, but please call me Clementine. Everyone does."

"Um _why_?" Brandon couldn't help but blurt out. Amara instead of Amaretta made sense. So did Sera instead of Seraphina and Mona instead of Monica. But where on earth did Clementine come from? It was longer than Jane!

"Because I love clementines!" she said as if it was obvious, "I even picked them for my signature scent. It wasn't an option but they made one just for me!"

"Oh," Brandon was speechless for a minute before he said, "I think I'll just call you Jane if that's okay."

She pouted for a minute before saying okay.

Brandon was ready to dismiss her but he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt, "What do you like to do?" he asked.

"I'm a writer so I like to write."

"Anything else?"

"Reading too," she added.

"Thank you for your time, Lady Jane, you may go now."

She nodded at him and returned to her seat.

Brandon was ready to be done with interviews but when he saw who was next he smiled, knowing it would be an easy interview.

Priya walked over to him, a knowing smile on her lips. She was wearing a pretty dark blue dress that made her eyes pop and her black hair was pulled back into a pretty yet professional ponytail.

With all the chaos that had been going on in his life lately, Brandon was glad to see her familiar face.

She swept into a perfect curtsy before sitting down.

Neither one said anything and after a minute they both burst out laughing.

"This is weird, isn't it?" Brandon asked.

"Extremely." Priya said.

"Do you want me to eliminate you?" Brandon asked her.

She thought for a minute, seriously considering it, before shaking her head.

"Not yet. I could use a break from work, and if I'm here I can still do some of my duties and also relax a bit. Amelia is going to need a lot of help and I know the protocol forwards and backwards so I think I could help her a lot. Besides," she pointed at the other thirty four girls sitting down, "one of them will be the next princess and I'll be working with her a lot. I might as well get to know all of them so I know what I'll be working with."

"Alright then," Brandon said.

"Good day, Your Highness," Priya said to him, curtsying again as she left.

Brandon shook off thoughts of Priya as he called up the next girl, Ember Quinn.

This was another familiar face, although Brandon had never met her before. Ember was a famous singer and she'd performed at several charity events that Brandon had attended. Her voice was amazing.

She was wearing a strapless dress with a patterned bodice and a bright orange skirt. Her reddish hair was pulled back in an intricate braid.

"It's nice to meet you, Lady Ember. You have an incredible voice," Brandon told her.

She blushed as red as her hair, "Thank you, Your Highness."

"It's true," Brandon reiterated, then asked, "besides singing what do you like to do?"

"I like swimming," she said, "and I've only been skiing once, when I was on tour in Hansport, but I loved it and I really want to do it again."

Brandon smiled, "I've only been skiing once too, but I would love the chance to do it again. Maybe someday we'll be able to do it together."

Ember smiled at him, "I'd like that."

"Me too, but for now I'm afraid our time is up."

"Alright," Ember gracefully curtsied again as she left.

Brandon looked down at his list. Thankfully there were only five girls left.

"Miss Kadence Reynolds," he said.

As Kadence walked over, Brandon was struck by her similarities to Aria. They both had the same warm brown eyes and chestnut hair, though the ends of Kadence's hair were dyed a light blonde color. Even their face and body shapes were similar, but while Aria had an aura of confidence, it was clear Kadence was much more timid. Her outfit was much more subdued than Aria's- it was a sheer cream colored dress with a beaded neckline and a big black bow that cinched at her waist- and her makeup was natural.

She reached Brandon and curtsied without meeting his gaze as she sat down.

"Good morning, Lady Kadence."

She smiled shyly at him, still not looking him in the eye, "Thank you."

They sat in silence for a minute, sneaking peeks at each other. Brandon could tell Kadence was shy, and when two quiet people are together you get a whole lot of silence.

Finally Brandon asked the question that had been plaguing him, "Why did you enter the Selection?"

As far as he could figure, Kadence wasn't the type of girl who would want to be surrounded by strangers and locked in a room all day learning protocol.

She smiled at him, finally meeting his eyes, "Do you want to know the _real_ reason or what you want to hear?"

Brandon smiled back, "Let's hear the real reason."

"Ok," she smirked, "Well sorry to break it to you, it wasn't because I'm madly in love with you."

"Darn it," Brandon joked, "I guess that's just the other thirty four girls then?"

She nodded seriously but her eyes smiled, "Yep. I entered for one thing and one thing only."

Brandon smiled, imagining what she'd say, "What was that?"

"Adventure."

"Really?" Brandon asked. He'd been expecting what every other girl was there for- money, power, the crown, love. Adventure had never even crossed his mind.

"Yes," she said passionately, "I've spent my whole life in Fennley doing the same thing. Nothing is special or different, this was my one chance to get out and I took it."

Brandon agreed with what she said. He understood her. Everyday he'd spent living in Matthew and Ryan's shadows, preparing for the same thing he was already doing. He would never be king, only a prince, but he still had to learn all the duties and lessons, even though he'd never use them. It was quite tedious most days.

"I understand. Maybe someday we can go on an adventure together, I need one too."

All of the passion she'd just had drained out of her and she was shy once again.

"Maybe," she said nervously.

"Alright, I look forward to it, but for now I have more girls to meet and I'm afraid our time is up."

Kadence nodded in understanding and Brandon placed a kiss on her hand as she left.

"Miss Vivian Thompson," Brandon called as a pretty Indian girl in a cranberry colored day dress came up.

The first thing Brandon noticed about her was her size. Even in her three inch heels she was tiny. Without the shoes Brandon was probably a foot taller than her.

She seemed just as nervous, if not more so, than Kadence had; and even before Brandon spoke to her, a blush colored her cheeks. Brandon smiled wide, it was nice to see someone who was even more nervous than he was.

"It's nice to meet you, Lady Vivian."

Vivian's blush deepened, "Thank you. It's nice to meet you as well," she whispered.

"So you're a Four, right?" Brandon asked after a moment of silence.

Vivian slowly nodded her head.

"And you're from Bonita?" Brandon covertly peeked at her form, making sure he was right.

"Yeah," she smiled, "it's great there, I love it."

"You do?" He asked, trying to get to know her more.

"I do. I live in a town house with three of my best friends and my little sister, Melanie."

"That sounds fun."

"It is! My best friend, Michaela, is studying to be a doctor and I own a store, well really more of a boutique, where I sell dresses. Mel helps me out a lot, she's great."

There was just something wholly sweet about Vivian that Brandon felt himself drawn to. The amount of love in her voice when she spoke about her family and friends was amazing and Brandon hated to end their time together.

"She sounds great," Brandon told her, "but I'm afraid that's all the time we have for now. I look forward to speaking with you soon."

Brandon gently kissed Vivian's hand as she left and returned to her seat.

"Miss Vanessa Waltaz."

Vanessa was a pretty girl with dark skin, hair, and eyes. She was wearing a dress with a cream colored bodice and a white skirt with black polka dots on it. It also had what appeared to be black feathers along the waistline. Before Brandon could examine it further he caught her gaze. Vanessa looked at him and Brandon felt uncomfortable, as if she could tell all of his secrets just by looking at him. He tried not to squirm as she came closer and sat down.

"Good morning, Lady Vanessa."

"What's so great about it?" she responded.

"Well," Brandon thought for a minute, "I got to meet you."

While any other girl would have swooned if a prince said that to them, Vanessa just snorted as if to say, _Yeah right._

 _Okay_ , Brandon thought, and tried to move on, "Tell me about your family," he said, thinking about Vivian and how talking about her family had made her open up.

Vanessa's already dark eyes turned dangerous, "I _don't_ want to talk about them," she said stiffly, "in fact, I'm really hungry and would actually like to eat so I'll leave now and you can finish the interviews."

She stood up and left without another word, leaving Brandon staring after her, dumbstruck.

Brandon got over his shock and called for the next girl, Tristyn Westfall.

Tristyn was a pretty girl with black hair and dark green eyes. Her smile was bright and her hair contrasted nicely with the lilac day dress she wore.

"Hello, Lady Tristyn."

"Hi," she said simply, "Call me Tristyn. I don't need any of that lady stuff."

Brandon chuckled at her blunt tone, "Alright, _Tristyn_ , tell me about yourself."

"I'm the oldest of three children and I live in Belcourt. I've been a waitress ever since I was fourteen and dropped out of school, and right now I'm _starving_."

To accentuate her point, her stomach growled loudly, making them both laugh. Then, as if on cue, Brandon's stomach growled too.

They both laughed again.

"I have to say I agree with you," Brandon told her.

"Yeah," she agreed, "I can't wait for my first palace breakfast. Dinner last night was _so_ amazing, I can't even imagine what the food will be like today."

Brandon chuckled at her enthusiasm, "Our chefs here are quite good. I guess I'll let you go now and not keep you waiting for your first taste of _the best french toast_ in the whole world."

"The _whole_ world?" she asked.

Brandon nodded.

"Even better than France's?" she joked.

"Better," he told her.

"Well I'll just have to decide that for myself," she said as she got up.

"I'm right, you just wait."

She smirked as she left, "We'll see," she called over he shoulder.

Brandon looked down at his lap, he only had one form left.

"Miss Yorra Weston," he called out.

The thirty-fifth girl to be interviewed walked confidently over to Brandon and plopped down without curtsying. Yorra was wearing a dark purple strapless dress and her blue eyes popped with her dark hair.

"Good morning, Lady Yorra."

"Thanks, Brandon, you too."

Brandon smiled at her, but her face paled as she realized her mistake, "I mean Your Highness, that's what I meant to say. I'm so sorry!" she said all in a rush.

"It's perfectly alright, Yorra. I just want to get to know you, so please, feel free to call me Brandon."

Slowly, her smile returned, "Alright then."

"Tell me about yourself," Brandon told her.

"I'm a construction worker. My whole family has been for generations, it's kind of our thing. I like helping my family through that, but I _hate_ construction. It's so boring and I just want to have fun, you know what I mean?" she didn't wait for Brandon's answer before continuing, "I just want to explore and do crazy things, just have the chance to do whatever I want to without worrying about how it will affect my family and what people think of me."

Brandon knew exactly what she was talking about. There were so many times when he just wanted to let loose and go crazy, but he couldn't because he had to set an example. He hated doing it but knew it was necessary.

"I also love horses and cooking," she added, then blushed, "sorry, that was probably way more than you wanted to know."

Brandon smiled, "That's alright, but I'm sure you're just as hungry as I am, so I'm going to cut our time short so that you can go eat."

"Alright," Yorra said, "I am hungry, but it was nice talking to you."

"It was. Thank you for your time."

Yorra returned to her seat and Brandon stood up to address the girls.

"Thank you, ladies. It was nice getting to know each of you. I hope you've enjoyed your stay in the palace so far, and now if you'll all follow Amelia into the dining room so you can eat, I'll be joining you shortly."

Brandon watched as all thirty five girls shuffled out. When he was alone in the room, he looked down at the list in his hand. Was two minutes worth of conversation seriously enough to determine who he was compatible with? He scratched off a few names, making the list even shorter than it already was. Did he really have to eliminate anyone? They all seemed like nice girls. It wasn't a rule that he had to eliminate girls after the interviews, just a tradition.

But no, there were some girls who were just wrong for him. Sighing, Brandon made a few last changes to his list.

When he was finished he looked down at it, feeling satisfied. This was it and he knew it. These were the girls who were going home. Now all he had to do was tell them.

 **...**

 **I know, it's a mean place to stop. You'll find out who was eliminated next chapter and just see what all happens.**

 **Now that all the interviews are done you guys can start pinning hints to the board. Just pin whatever you want to- outfits, face claims, Selectiony things, whatever. And after the elimination I'll put a new poll up on my profile about who should get the first (and future) date/s so that you guys can vote on those.**

 **Don't forget to leave me a review, each one makes me so happy, even if it's criticism.**

 **You guys are the best!**

 **~Jen**


	18. We Made It

**Hey guys! Check it out, I didn't make you wait over twenty days for a chapter! There's also a poll up on my profile about who you think should get the first date. I might not go with it but I just want to see where you guys are at and what you want to see.**

 **Also HUGE thanks to LeaGirlWriter22, morethanjustastory, and 4Love4Love4 for reviewing. You guys rock!**

 **...**

"Five girls, Brandon? _Five_!?" His father demanded.

"Yes," Brandon replied with a firm nod.

"I know we told you to be sure before eliminating girls, but you _need_ to be more decisive," his father's voice softened a bit, "In Matthew's Selection, he sent home twelve girls on the first day, and you send home five?"

It was after breakfast and Brandon had talked to the girls he was sending home before his father had demanded to see him in his office. Ladies Jane, Kennedy, Scarlet, Adela, and Phoebe had been sent home as soon as breakfast had finished, while the other girls were getting lessons from Amelia.

" _Yes_ ," Brandon repeated, growing exasperated, "I only eliminated five girls. It's my Selection, not Matthew's."

His father sighed and met Brandon's blue eyes, "I know that, Brandon. And I'm not trying to put pressure on you, but the Selection isn't just about you."

" _Really_?" He asked sarcastically, "Because it's all I've been hearing about my whole life! Especially since my birthday. Everyone has advice for me and I understand that, but it's _my_ choice! And I only wanted five girls to go home!"

"That may be, Brandon, but this is about everyone, not just you," he paused for a minute and Brandon met his father's brown eyes, King James sounded sincere when he said, "Do I hope you can find someone to love? Your other half, just like Matthew did? Of course I do. But that's not the only thing you have to look for during your Selection. You have to appease the people. The point of this is to calm the rebels down. Bringing in normal girls was supposed to do that. We even made sure to include Eights this year to make it look more authentic so that they wouldn't attack as much. With Serenity's condition we can't have her being stressed and-"

"Wait wait wait," Brandon interrupted, "You wanted to make it ' _more authentic_ '? Was it not actually a lottery?"

"Of course not! You think if we just bring in any girl off the street she'll do? You could end up with a psychopath. We have to screen the applicants carefully. Some of them are more random than others, granted, but this way, no matter who you end up with, she's a suitable girl."

"Is that how you picked Serenity? Did Matthew go into knowing who he had to pick? Did I eliminate the girl you had picked to win? Is that why you're so mad?"

"Brandon calm down," his father said, "no, we didn't have Serenity picked out for Matthew, he chose her all on his own, just like you'll get to do. We don't have one girl picked out for you to marry. Whoever you choose will be a wonderful princess. The reason I'm upset with you is because you looked weak. Getting rid of only five girls makes you look indecisive and hesitant. And that's not what leaders are. A king needs to make decisions and show his judgment."

"Well _I'm_ not going to be king!" Brandon exploded.

"You very well could be!" his father snapped, then his voice softened, "Brandon, you never know what could happen. Matthew thinks with his heart and not his head. With Serenity being pregnant if there's a threat here he'll do whatever it takes to protect her. We can try to keep him safe but there's no guarantee. Because Ryan doesn't have a wife, and has no plans of getting one, if something happens to Matthew you're next in line for the throne because you'll be able to produce an heir. The country needs to look up to and admire you, they don't right now and your Selection is the perfect opportunity to change their opinion."

"That's the thing though, it's _my_ Selection. Everyone keeps telling me how to run it and what I should do, but it's my choice, and I'm sick of everyone else thinking it's theirs." Brandon was yelling by the end of his rant. He was shocked, he'd never dared raise his voice to his father before. Brandon looked up and saw that his father was just as surprised as he was. Before the king had a chance to respond Brandon turned on his heel and stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him.

For the first time in his life Brandon had stood up for himself, and it felt good. Maybe the Selection wasn't going to be such a bad thing after all.

...

Vivian Thompson nervously walked into the Women's Room, trying not to stumble in her three inch heels. As she walked in, Amelia was there with pens and pieces of paper for each girl. They were instructed to write down a question they wanted to know about someone and then Amelia folded the papers and placed them in a large glass bowl in the middle of the room.

Vivi thought for a quick moment before scribbling down _What is the best thing that has ever happened to you?_

She was one of the last girls to finish and already most of the seats were filled up with fast-made friends. Vivian glanced around, looking for somewhere to sit. She spotted a pair of familiar brown eyes and Vivian smiled. She recognized Zinnia from the plane ride over, and it seemed like Zinnia knew her too. She beckoned Vivian over and Vivi gratefully crossed the room and sat down next to her on the couch.

"Hey," Vivian said to her friend, but then paled when she saw how many other girls were around Zinnia.

Zinnia smiled at Vivian but didn't stop her conversation with a pretty blonde girl whose name tag said Miami. The other girls around who were listening to Zinnia's story were Callista, Juliet, and Aria.

Zinnia finished her story, leaving the other girls giggling, then turned to Vivian, "Hey, Vivi. What's up?"

Vivian was comfortable enough around Zinnia, but she didn't know any of the other girls and was overcome with a bout of shyness. She smiled at Zinnia but didn't answer the question.

"Ooh, I love your dress," Aria told her.

Vivi smiled shyly, "Thanks, I like yours too."

Aria wrinkled her nose, "Seriously? I don't like it. It's not really my style, but it's what my maids had. Sometime this week my maids are going to start making some of the dresses that I designed. I'm so excited for that. I've never had the materials to actually make my designs before and I just know my maids will be amazing."

"You design?" Vivi asked, perking up. When Aria nodded she continued, "That's so cool! I love fashion. I own a boutique that sells clothing and I do most of the designs for it. I hardly ever meet anyone who likes fashion and design like I do."

Aria smiled at her, "Well I love it. Since you're a professional, maybe I could show you my designs sometime and you could give me some pointers?"

"Definitely," Vivian beamed. What had she been so worried about? It was clear all of these girls weren't going to ostracize her. She'd even managed to make a friend. She was about to ask Aria another question when Amelia stood up and all conversation died.

She looked out at all of the Selected girls before smiling brightly, "Ladies, congratulations on making it past the first round of eliminations. Now I know that most of you probably don't have any clue on how to act around the royal family or what protocol to use, and you'll learn in time. But for today, I was thinking that we could all have fun and just get to know each other a bit. There are thirty of you and I'm sure you don't know everyone so we'll try to fix that. I have a bowl here with questions that you all wrote. You'll each take a turn coming up here and picking a question then answering it for us, that way we get to know something unique about all of you."

Most of the girls looked at Amelia like she was crazy, clearly thinking it was a stupid game.

"Who wants to go first?" Amelia asked.

Nobody raised their hand and Vivian sank lower on the couch, hoping to stay out of sight. Finally, Priya Prepenstone stood up and walked to the center of the room and started digging in the bowl.

On her way there someone in the far corner loudly hissed, "Kiss up," but Priya just ignored them and Amelia didn't seem to hear it.

Priya triumphantly pulled out a piece of paper and read, "'If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?'" Priya didn't even think before answering, "Easy. I'd go to England. That's pretty much where government was born, it'd be so cool to learn about how their political systems and monarchy work and compare it to Illéa's."

As Priya went to sit down, another person said, "Nerd." Vivian looked around and wasn't surprised to see that the insults were coming from a corner where Taylor was sitting, along with Colleen, Vanessa, and Ember.

Priya sat down and Amelia called the girl next to her, Shevonne, up. She drew a question and told them that her favorite color was gold, which was pretty obvious since she wore it almost on a daily basis.

The game continued around the room, with Vivian learning the names of each girl and something new about them. Grayson was a vegetarian. Kadence loved the morning and always tried to be up in time to watch the sunrise.

When Kadence said that, Vivian saw Aria roll her eyes and mutter, "Seriously? Nobody likes mornings. That's crazy, she's totally lying."

"I don't know," Juliet countered, "I'm sure _somebody_ likes them. She probably does. Why would she lie about _that_?"

Aria muttered something incoherent in response.

Seraphina was next and she got Vivian's question.

She smiled brightly, "The best thing that's ever happened to me was when I was picked for the Selection."

Next to Vivian, Zinnia nodded along, completely agreeing with her.

Amara told them that her name, Amaretta, meant a little bitter and that Amara meant grace or peaceful. "You can see why I prefer Amara," she'd said.

Vivian listened as other girls got up and answered their questions. She grew more and more nervous as her turn approached.

It reached the girls who'd been in the corner talking the whole time and Aria again rolled her eyes at Taylor's theatrics as she strutted up to the bowl.

She reached in for a piece of paper and read, "'If they made a movie of your life, which actress would play you?'" She smirked at her 'friends' before answering, "Duh, I'm an actress, I'd play myself. And I will, because there will definitely be a movie made about me soon."

There were a few stifled groans from around the room but Amelia shushed them. Yes Taylor's answer hadn't been typical, but they didn't need to draw attention to that.

Normally Vivian would have groaned with the others, but she was far too busy worrying about how she would get up in front of everyone and what question she would have to answer. After Ember had to tell her most embarrassing moment- when she'd been performing an outdoor concert and a gust of wind had blown her skirt up as high as it could go, right in front of everyone- Vivian was terrified of what she'd have to say.

Finally the line reached their corner and Zinnia eagerly bounced up.

She picked a piece of paper and then laughed before reading it to everyone else, "What is your favorite flower? That's easy. A zinnia! Although Rose is my middle name so I like those too."

Callista talked about how she liked to take pieces of old jewelry at her store and tinker with them until she'd created something new and exciting.

Vivian learned that Juliet had been accepted into the most prestigious ballet academy in Hansport.

And then it was her turn. Vivian tried to hide her shaking hands as she walked into the center of the room. She reached into the bowl and pulled out the first piece of paper she felt.

 _Describe yourself in three words_ was written there. Vivian wracked her brain, coming up blank. She could feel the stares of all the other girls on her. She wanted to close in on herself, but she couldn't. Vivian looked up and saw Zinnia give her an encouraging smile and mouth, "Go on."

Vivian read her question out loud and then said, "Well, I'm shy," a few people laughed at that, as it was quite obvious how much Vivian didn't want to be standing up there, "I'm also pretty loyal, and you could say I'm smart. I like both math and science."

Amelia nodded at her words and then Vivian hurried to her seat, as fast as she could in a ladylike manner. She kept waiting for a scathing remark to come, but none did. She reached her seat and Zinnia leaned over and whispered, "Good job."

"Thanks," Vivian smiled. She had done it. _If only Michaela could see me now_ , she thought.

Vivian waited while the rest of the girls finished up, then Amelia gave them the rest of the morning to mingle and get to know each other.

Vivian breathed in relief. She had survived the first part of the day, now all she had to do was get through the rest.

...

Kadence stood in her room, steeling herself for what she was about to do.

She was still dressed from her first dinner in the palace, and while she was sure it had been amazing, everything had tasted like sand when she swallowed. She was so focused on what she would do after dinner that she'd only managed a few bites of food.

She checked her reflection in the mirror one last time. Her strapless yellow chiffon dress was wrinkle free, but she smoothed it down anyway before tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her maids had pulled her hair back into an intricate updo that Kadence loved but knew she'd never be able to do herself. She straightened the sparkly clip they'd placed in it and adjusted her silver necklace and earrings.

Kadence looked down at her sparkly silver three inch heels and debated taking them off. She'd been wearing them all evening and her feet were killing her, but she liked how tall they made her feel. Tall meant powerful, and powerful meant brave. And Kadence needed every bit of courage for what she was about to do.

She left her shoes on and, before she could change her mind, she turned and marched out of her room and across the hall. She knew exactly which room she was looking for but she still stopped and analyzed the name tag on the door before knocking.

Half of her hoped the door wouldn't open, Kadence was ready to bolt back across the hall to the safety of her room, but a few seconds after her knock the door swung open.

She was smiling, but the second she saw Kadence her face dropped into a scowl.

"What do _you_ want?" Aria drawled.

Kadence was shocked to find that she was taller than Aria. Usually Aria towered over her, but when Kadence looked down she saw that Aria was standing barefoot on the plush carpet. And her hair, which had been in an intricate knot during dinner, was falling loose down her back. She was still wearing the simple white dress with a long slit that she'd had on at dinner and her face was still made up, complete with bright red lipstick. It was clear Kadence had interrupted her right in the middle of getting ready for bed.

"Um, _hello_? Did you need something?" Aria waved her hand in front of Kadence's face and Kadence realized she'd been zoning out.

"Uh, yeah. I've been trying to talk to you all day but I never got the chance." It was more like Aria had never given her the chance. Every time Kadence had caught her eye, Aria had turned away. And whenever Kadence had approached her, Aria had found an excuse to leave the room.

"Well what did you want to talk about, because I'm kind of busy right now."

She started to shut the door but Kadence yelled, " _Wait_!"

"What?" Aria snapped again.

"I just want to get to know you."

"Why me? There's twenty eight other girls on this floor. Why don't you go bother one of them?" She tried again to shut the door but Kadence stuck her foot in it.

"Oh come _on_ ," Kadence said, beginning to to get annoyed, "surely you've heard what everyone's saying about us."

"Nope, and I don't really care. People can gossip all they want, but it doesn't effect me."

"Even if you haven't heard the rumors, can't you tell we're connected in someway. I mean, we're practically identical," Kadence gave a small laugh at the end, but Aria didn't even crack a smile.

"No we're not."

"Are you _crazy_? We could almost be the same person!"

"No. There might be a couple similarities but that's it. I'm way taller, my teeth are straighter, and your eyes are much too big."

Kadence gasped in indignation, "They are _not_! You can see how similar we are, you just won't accept it. Why not? I've never met my mom so I don't know what she looks like, but I'd bet money that you and I are related somehow."

"Well I hate to break it to you, but we're not related. I know my whole family. I have a dad and a mom and siblings, so sorry."

Kadence refused to accept that. There had to be more to the story, "Well when's your birthday? Mine's December 23."

"What does _that_ have to do with anything?" Aria demanded.

"I'm just curious."

Aria paused before responding, "Mine's February 11."

"Oh," the disappointment was evident on Kadence's face. She had been _sure_ that they had the same birthday.

Aria saw her expression and her own face softened, "It's just you and your dad right?" Kadence nodded and Aria continued, "That must have sucked. It was probably super lonely and I get that you want to find your mom and your family, and I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that's not me. My family's not missing anything. I wish I could help you, but I just can't."

Kadence knew she should drop it, but she couldn't just let it go, "Are you sure?"

The annoyed tone returned to Aria's voice, " _Yes_. Are we done now? Because I have stuff to do." Without waiting for an answer she shut the door.

Kadence stood frozen in shock for a minute before turning and stomping back to her room.

 _Why is Aria such a jerk?_ she thought, _I guess it's a good thing we're not related_. Because there was no way on earth she was related to someone like _that._

 **...**

 **Alright, so now you know who was eliminated. You also got to see a bit of the girls interactions and how it was in the Women's Room. Hopefully you guys got a better sense of Kadence and Aria and what their thoughts and personalities are. I'll definitely be getting more into their story as I go on and I hope you guys like them as much as I do.**

 **Don't forget to vote on the poll and leave me a review. I LOVE hearing from you guys and knowing you're invested in the story makes me want to write your character more.**

 **Hope you guys have an awesome May!**

 **~Jen**


	19. Just Keep Swimming

**Hey guys! Oh my gosh, you guys are LEGIT THE BEST! I seriously cannot even believe how much support this story has gotten- I mean 179 reviews is crazy, you all seriously rock so much I can't believe it! Thank you guys!**

 **Huge thanks to these lovely people for reviewing last time:** 4Love4Love4, LadyAnj, XOStarbrightXO, LeaGirlWriter22, ApolloSerenity (x2!), SolarisEclipse77 (x3!), Cookiedoodles168, morethanjustastory, R3dH00d, Demigod18, and Elmers glue. **You all are seriously THE BEST!**

 **Here's the chapter and don't forget to vote in the poll.**

 **...**

London sat in the Women's Room, talking with the friends she'd made so far in the Selection: Kadence, Seraphina, Aurora, and Elody. Nearby were Cosmina, Amara, Everly, and Mona; having their own conversations but occasionally chiming in when they had something interesting to say.

The girls were currently talking about what every other girl in the room was- the Report that night. It would be the first Report since they had been at the palace, and while they didn't have to speak, they would be in the public eye as a group for the first time, and everyone was nervous.

London was also wondering about the other thing that had been on the girls' minds- Brandon.

"I still can't believe he hasn't gone on a date with anyone yet," she said.

"I know," Aurora agreed, "I mean, we're supposed to be dating him. How are we going to get to know him if we never spend any time with him?"

For the whole time they'd been in the palace, about a week, none of the girls has spent one on one time with Brandon other than the interviews. Everyday was the same. Getting ready in the morning, then eating breakfast (where the royal family might or might now show up), lessons with Amelia in the morning and then lunch. Usually the afternoon was free time where the girls could do whatever they wanted and then they spent an hour getting ready for a formal dinner each night. When London had pictured being in the Selection she'd never thought it would be this, well, boring.

"I don't care," Sera said, "It would be nice to get to know him, but I'm just happy I'm here. I mean, think about it, we're getting paid to just sit here and talk."

"Well I think it's a waste of money," Elody chimed in, "there are people out there starving and we're being paid an extravagant amount to sit here and look pretty."

Ever since her makeover, it was hard to remember that Elody had been an Eight. She told everyone that she'd grown up as a Two, but that was all she said on the subject. Whenever anyone brought it up she refused to talk about it. It was only when money or social issues were came up that Elody talked about her time on the streets.

Before London could respond, the doors swung open. London glanced up, expecting to see a maid or a girl returning from the bathroom, but standing in front of her were the three princesses.

All of the girls instantly straightened up and stopped talking, looking at the three ladies with awe.

Serenity shot the girls a friendly smile, "Good morning, ladies, don't get up. I hope you're all doing well."

There was a slight murmur of ascent from all of the girls.

It was pretty clear that most of the girls were starstruck. Other than the first night, the girls hadn't seen much of the royal women. The first night the royal ladies had sat in the Women's Room with the Selected, watching the Report and eating dinner, though they'd kept mostly to themselves, and none of the Selected had been brave enough to go talk to them.

"Now we usually don't spend much time here," Princess Natalie said, "but we also usually don't have thirty girls to get to know. You girls don't have to do anything different, but we just wanted to start talking with you all and learn more about you."

Some of the Selected nodded but no one dared to say a word. The three princesses congregated on the other side of the room, whispering among themselves. After a minute, the Selected had calmed down enough to talk again.

"Let's go meet them," London said excitedly to her friends.

"Or not," Kadence countered.

"Why _not_?" London asked, "We're going to meet them eventually, let's just be the first girls to do it."

"I don't know," Kadence still didn't sound convinced.

Kadence was so sweet and outgoing around London that sometimes she forget her friend didn't like meeting new people.

"Yeah, London," Seraphina agreed, "Do you really think we should go bother them?"

"It's not _bothering_ them," London countered, "they said they wanted to get to know us, just look."

All of the girls heads whipped around to where London was pointing. Princess Brooklyn had broken away from the group and was currently sitting in an armchair talking with Zinnia, Callista, and Juliet.

"Now let's go before the other two leave as well."

Aurora didn't look convinced either and was about to argue, but then Amara leaned over and said, "I agree. You want to go?"

"Yes!" London squealed.

"I'm game," Cosmina added.

"Well, it would be cool to get to know them," Seraphina said.

"Fine," Kadence said, "I don't want you guys to leave me here all by myself. I'm game too."

"Great," London said. She stood up and waited for the other girls to follow suit before making her way over to the royals.

By the time they got there, Natalie had left and was over having a conversation with Taylor, Colleen, Anya, Flara, and Azura.

Serenity was sitting by herself looking down at some paperwork in her hands, but when she heard their approach she looked up and smiled.

"Hello, girls," she greeted them, "May I help you?"

Suddenly all of the girls were nervous, they glanced at London since it had been her idea to come over, but she was nervous too. Even growing up as a Two she'd never had any interactions with Ones, and this wasn't just any One, it was _Princess Serenity_. London wasn't just nervous, she was terrified.

Surprisingly, it was Amara who spoke up, "We just wanted to come over and talk with you, Your Highness. If that's okay," she added quickly.

If it was possible, Serenity's smile grew even brighter, "Of course. Have a seat," she gestured to the empty couch and chairs around her, "And if you wouldn't mind, could you remind me of your names?"

"Sure. I'm London Banks, and it's an honor to meet you," London sank into a curtsy before perching on an armchair.

The other girls all followed suit and soon they were all seated.

"So how are you all liking the palace so far?" Serenity wondered, "Are you excited about the Selection?"

Everyone nodded.

"I remember I was too. I would get so nervous whenever I saw Matthew, even just when his name would come up."

"It's really exciting to be here, I'm just not sure how I feel about Brandon yet. I haven't gotten to know him yet, but I really want to," London confessed.

Serenity nodded, "Brandon, well, he's had a lot going on lately. He's pretty shy as it is and I know all you girls make him so nervous."

"We do?" Sera asked.

"He sure doesn't show it," Amara remarked.

Serenity smiled, "Yeah, you do. He's not sure at all what to do around you girls, but I know he'll figure it out. And don't worry about not getting to know him yet. You haven't even been here a week. Trust me, just give it a little time and I'm sure you'll feel differently."

They continued talking for a while, Serenity was surprisingly easy to talk to and completely different from what all of the girls had expected.

Finally, she stood up and smiled at the girls, "It was nice talking to you, but unfortunately I have to get back to my office," London looked at the clock on the wall and saw they'd been talking for nearly forty five minutes, "There's a few things I still have to do before the Report tonight. Hopefully I'll get the chance to talk to all of you again."

"Of course," Aurora told her.

All of the girls stood up and curtsied, but before she could leave London called out, "Wait, Your Highness," she pulled out her phone, which had been resting in a hidden pocket of her day dress, "Would you mind taking a picture with us before you go?" she wondered.

Serenity looked a bit nervous, "I don't know."

"Please," Aurora said.

"It would be fun," Cosmina told her.

"You're already all over the media and one of the most famous women in the country, what's one more picture?" Amara asked.

Serenity sighed but smiled, "Alright, but just one."

All of the girls crowded around London and she held the phone up and snapped a picture.

"Thank you," London gushed.

"You're welcome," Serenity told her, then walked across the room, got Brooklyn and Natalie, and left.

Then, as of she'd been waiting for the princesses to leave, a maid walked up to their group. She had in her hands a tray with a folded piece of card stock on it.

She turned to Cosmina, "This is for you."

" _Me_?" Cosmina breathed.

The maid nodded.

"Well open it!" London said.

Cosmina chuckled then reached out and picked up the paper, scanning its contents quickly.

"What does it say?" Kadence asked.

Cosmina looked up at them, her blue eyes shining, "I guess I have a date."

...

About an hour later, Cosmina was changed and standing in her room waiting for Brandon to show up.

She looked over at her desk where the card she'd received was sitting. She went over and picked it up, reading the words again.

 _Dear Cosmina,_

 _I know how much you love fencing, but we don't have a fencing area here. However, we do have a swimming pool. It's a pretty nice day and I was wondering if you'd like to join me._

 _You can give your response to the maid, and if it's yes I'll be by your room around three to pick you up._

 _Until then,_

 _Brandon_

She smiled at the note and looked at the clock on the desk. _2:55_ , it said. Brandon would be there in five minutes.

Cosmina looked down at herself critically. Her maids had given her a ruffled cream tankini with halter straps to wear. It was pretty enough for a date but not overly revealing. Then they'd given her high-low white coverup to slip on over her suit. Her outfit was completed with a slip on pair of black sandals with starfish decals on them.

Because she would be swimming, her maids had kept her makeup light and waterproof with only a bit of concealer and some mascara. A small section of hair was pulled back in a french braid that wound around her head and then joined the rest of her hair in a high ponytail.

Cosmina smiled at her reflection. She felt really pretty. It was a nice date look and Cosmina couldn't contain her excitement. She _still_ couldn't believe she had gotten the first date!

Even though Cosmina was excited, she couldn't help but be a bit sad. Getting ready reminded her of every time she got ready to go out with Gabriel. Even though Gabriel had died over four years ago, Cosmina still thought about him a lot. She always blamed herself for his death, as if there was something she could have done to stop the car from smashing into them. This would be the first date she went on since his death, and it was a very bittersweet moment for her.

Cosmina jumped, startled out of her reverie, as a knock sounded at her door. She waited patiently while her head maid, Delilah, opened the door, curtsying deeply.

She looked up and saw Brandon standing in her doorway. While he was talking to Delilah, he looked over at Cosmina and smiled.

She looked at him and saw that he was dressed casually in a pair of shorts and a thin blue T-shirt that brought out his eyes. Brandon bowed to Cosmina and she curtsied in response. Then she took his offered arm and the two made their way down the hall.

They walked in silence for a bit so Cosmina decided to start a conversation.

"I didn't know there was a pool here," she said.

"Yeah, there's a lot here that most people don't know about," Brandon said, "the pool was commissioned by my grandma."

"Queen Eadlyn?"

He smiled, "Yeah. She pretty much always got what she wanted. Her father never let her have a pool, so one of her first acts as Queen was to have one built."

"Really?" Cosmina asked.

"Yeah, she always was pretty stubborn."

Cosmina didn't know much about Queen Eadlyn or Illéan history. She'd been in Romania most of her life and hadn't learned much about the history of her new country, but even she knew about the infamous rebel attack that had killed Queen Eadlyn and her husband while the current king and queen had been on their honeymoon.

After a moment Cosmina asked, "So what else do you have here besides a pool?"

"Well, besides everything that you've seen- all the guest rooms, the dining room, and the Great Room; we also have a huge movie theatre, an observatory on the roof, a gym and training center, a huge state-of-the-art kitchen, and horse stables."

"Wow," Cosmina said, awed. But then she added, "All that and yet you don't have a fencing arena."

Brandon grinned, "What were we thinking?"

"I guess you weren't."

Brandon laughed and opened a door for her. Cosmina realized that they were headed outside. She looked up and in the midst of the flowering plants and tall trees she saw a glass pool house. The ceiling and all the walls were all made of glass, and through them Cosmina saw white lounge chairs, tables with gorgeous centerpieces, a sparkling white hot tub, and an Olympic sized crystal blue swimming pool complete with a diving board. She heard a loud giggle and her gaze was drawn to two figures in the pool.

Brandon saw them at the same time she did and his gaze narrowed, "What are _they_ doing here?"

His pace quickened and Cosmina was glad she had worn flats as she was forced to hurry too.

Brandon threw open the door and Cosmina was assaulted by the humidity as she stepped in.

The people in the pool instantly stopped what they were doing and stared at Brandon and Cosmina.

"What'cha doing?" Ryan drawled.

"Uh," Brandon pointed to Cosmina, "I'm on a date. What are _you_ doing here?"

"We just wanted to relax before the Report tonight. You know the guests for Nat's party start arriving on Monday and we have meetings all weekend. This is our last chance to just hang out and let loose."

"It's okay though," Brook broke in, "we can leave, we'll let you have some privacy. Come on," she started tugging on Ryan's arm but he refused to move and instead began trying to push her under the water.

"It's fine," Cosmina told them, "you can stay." Then she turned to Brandon, "If that's okay with you, I mean."

Brandon considered it for a moment before nodding, "I guess."

Then he stepped out of his shoes and stripped his shirt off, throwing it down on the ground. When he did that Cosmina tried hard not to stare. He. Was. _Ripped_. The suits he usually wore did not do him justice.

Brandon took off at a running start and jumped into the pool, sending a wave up and into Ryan.

He looked over his shoulder and saw Cosmina watching him and called out, "Come on!"

She smiled and took off her coverup, then made her way into the pool, much more gracefully than Brandon had.

She made her way over to the siblings. They were in the shallow end of the pool, talking.

"Do you like to swim, Cosmina?" Brandon asked.

"I used to go a lot when I was younger, but I haven't lately. My brother liked to go so I'd go with him and his girlfriend a lot during the summer."

Ryan got an evil glint in his eye, "So then do you know how to play chicken?"

"What?" Cosmina asked at the same time Brandon said, "She doesn't want to do that, Ryan."

Ryan smirked at his brother, "You're just saying that because you know you'll lose. Brook and I are undefeated." He held up his hand and Brook slapped a high five on it.

"Yeah we are," she added.

Brandon didn't want to back down so he turned to Cosmina, "What do you say?"

Cosmina still wasn't sure what the game was but she nodded anyway.

She watched as Ryan bent down and Brook climbed on top of his shoulders. She got her balance then Ryan grabbed her legs to keep her upright and stood up.

"What are they doing?" Cosmina wondered.

"It's a chicken fight," Brandon explained, "You get on my shoulders and then try to knock Brook off."

"How?"

"You just push her and try to knock her into the water."

Cosmina paled, "I can't do that! She's the _princess_."

Brandon smirked, "Yeah, but you still need to push her off. She needs someone to put her in her place."

"Alright," Cosmina was still nervous but she climbed onto Brandon's shoulders anyway. She felt him tighten his grip on her legs, keeping her stable.

The two boys made their way to the center of the pool, then counted down.

"Ready?" Ryan asked.

Brandon smiled up at Cosmina then yelled, "Go!" and charged at Ryan.

Cosmina wasn't ready and nearly fell off when Brook gave her a small shove. Luckily Brandon backed up and righted her.

"You can do better than that," Brook teased her.

Brandon charged again and this time Cosmina was ready, giving Brook a hard shove. Brook retaliated and Cosmina nearly toppled again. Just as she regained her balance Ryan struck out and punched Brandon in the stomach.

Brandon retaliated and soon the boys were pushing just as much as the girls. Brandon released one of Cosmina's legs so he could smack Ryan. She pushed Brook again and nearly knocked her down, but Brook was good. While Cosmina was still flailing from her failed attack, Brook reached out and shoved her backwards. Cosmina couldn't right herself in time and she felt herself falling backwards through the air and into the cold water.

She came up sputtering.

" _Cosmina_! Are you okay?" concern was written all over Brandon's face and, despite the cold water, Cosmina felt warm inside.

She looked over and saw Brook still perched on Ryan's shoulders and threw a wall of water at them.

"Rematch!" she demanded as she paddled over to Brandon.

"Deal," Brook said.

They ended up fighting three more times, all of which Cosmina and Brandon lost.

"Don't feel bad," Brook told her later, as they stood in the shallow end of the pool, watching the boys do flips off the diving board, "I never lose at that game, and it was your first time playing."

Cosmina smiled, "Yeah, but I'll beat you someday."

They stayed in the pool a few more minutes, Cosmina even took a turn jumping off the diving board, though she didn't do any crazy tricks like Brandon had. Then Brook and her continued talking for another few minutes until Ryan and Brook had to leave.

Once they left, Cosmina and Brandon went and sat in the hot tub. Brandon had a maid bring them snacks and iced tea. They just relaxed and talked for a while. It was the best Cosmina had felt in a long time. After a while, Brandon realized the time and they had to leave in order to make it to the Report.

They dried off and quickly made their way back up to the second floor, Cosmina's hair smelling of chlorine and dripping down her back.

When they reached Cosmina's door she turned to Brandon, "Thanks for today."

Suddenly, Brandon was shy again, "Yeah, you too."

"It was really fun."

"It was, but I'm sorry my siblings crashed it."

She waved away his concern, "Eh, don't worry about it, I have four older brothers myself so I'm used to it."

"Still, next time I'll have to take you somewhere just the two of us."

Cosmina couldn't stop the huge smile that broke out on her face, "I'd really like that."

Brandon's ears turned red, "Me too."

He picked up Cosmina's hand and brought it to his lips, gently pressing a kiss to it.

"Until next time," he said and then turned and walked back down the hall.

Cosmina watched him for a minute before leaning against the door and sighing. This was the happiest Cosmina had felt since she'd moved to Illéa, and she never wanted it to stop.

 **...**

 **Alright, so Cosmina got the first date. What did you guys think of it? Special thanks to LeaGirlWriter22 for her awesome character! What do you think of Cosmina and Brandon together? Let me know in the reviews who you'd like to see on the next date.**

 **Also, I'm in the middle of reading _The Crown_ , so no spoilers please! :)**

 **Next chapter will be the Report, probably from Brandon's POV but I might throw someone else in there just to mix it up.**

 **If any of you have ideas for Report dresses for the girls, I'd love to see them. Just pin them to the board.**

 **Thank you guys for all of your amazing support of this story, you're the best readers ever! Love you guys!**

 **~Jen**


	20. And We're Live

**Hey guys!**

 **Alright, here it is: The Report. Hope you guys all like this and best wishes for all of you who are going through exams and finals right now.**

 **Huge thanks to** LeaGirlWriter22, wolfofstark, XOStarbrightXO, PercyjacksonRxs, Demigod18, morethanjustastory, Cookiedoodles168, **and** ApolloSerenity.

 **This chapter is from Brandon and Aria's POVs, Aria's is a bit longer but it's also a lot of narration.**

 **...**

Brandon arrived at the set of the Report early. He had rushed through getting ready, trying to make up for the time he'd lost because of his date.

The studio was practically empty when Brandon walked in. There were a few stagehands putting the finishing touches on the set of risers that had been brought in for the Selected and a few cameramen were setting up in new spots to get better angles on the new guests. Brandon was glad for tonight. One Report with the Selected to just get used to things. One Report where the girls were there, but the focus wasn't on him.

Tonight, like most other nights, the focus would be on the state of the country, with only a few comments about the Selection. Then, when David would normally begin questioning the girls, Serenity would stand up and give her announcement. That would be sure to take the spotlight off of Brandon. A royal baby trumped the Selection any day.

Brandon looked around him and saw that he was still the only one there. Usually Brandon was one of the last people there so it was strange for him to see everything being set up and how much effort went into it. He realized that there was still more to be setup and that he was kind of in the way. He sheepishly retreated backstage, where he could watch without interrupting them.

"You ready?"

The voice behind Brandon startled him and he jumped. He turned and looked at his little sister, who had silently appeared behind him, even in her heels.

"For what?" he asked innocently.

Natalie smirked at him, "Oh, just you know, the whole country to see which girls you eliminated then analyze that and every remaining girl while trying to tell you who to marry and what to do with your life."

"Piece of cake," Brandon scoffed, then asked, "How about _you_? You ready to hear all about your possible husbands and have everyone speculate about how grand your birthday ball will be next week?"

"Piece of cake," she repeated, then grew serious, "Is it really next week?"

Brandon nodded, "I'm afraid so. The party's a week from tomorrow. And all week I have to speed date so that the girls will have something to talk about on their interviews next week. I don't even have any ideas for what to do," he confessed.

"Do you want help?" she offered.

"Yeah, but I'll ask Serenity and Brook, you have enough to worry about."

She smiled, "Please, it'll be a welcome distraction."

"If you want to, I'd love the help," he told her.

"Thanks."

Their conversation was interrupted as David Fadaye walked past them. Trailing behind him was a young guy about Brandon's age. He had light brown hair and bright green eyes; Brandon had never seen him before.

"Your Highnesses," David said with a bow.

The stranger behind him followed suit and Brandon saw Natalie straighten up and fix her hair. He mentally rolled his eyes, _girls_.

"It's nice to see you tonight, David, and who is your friend?" Natalie asked with a smile.

"Oh, forgive me, I wasn't thinking. With the addition of all the Selected we need more help on the Report. We've been hiring new people to help and one of them," he paused and looked at the stranger before continuing, "well, he fell through. We _thought_ he was a cameraman and photographer but it turns out he wasn't what we thought at all," while David's tone was light, Brandon could see in his eyes that this wasn't the whole truth. Brandon knew what he couldn't say out loud though, the man they'd hired was a rebel. At least they'd figured it out before someone had gotten hurt.

"And is _this_ man," Brandon gestured at the stranger, "what he says he is?" Brandon's tone matched David's airy one, but David knew he wasn't messing around.

David gave a small smile, "Oh yes, Logan is an excellent cameraman. He's been studying since he was little."

"Really?" Nat asked, batting her hazel eyes, and Brandon resisted the urge to push her away from him.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, Logan Wesley is my nephew."

" _What_?" Brandon couldn't contain his shock. Even Nat, who was always composed, had widened her eyes and opened her mouth.

"I didn't know you had a nephew," Brandon told him.

Logan smirked, "He doesn't like to talk about me, not that I blame him."

"That's not it at all," David reassured him, "in fact I have several nephews that I don't talk about," he smiled at his own joke and continued, "I've wanted to get Logan a position here for years, but I was unable to because of nepotism. However, right now, under the circumstances, I think Logan is _just_ what we need."

"I'm sure he'll do an excellent job," Brandon said with a smile.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Logan said, "I'm looking forward to working here, and covering the Selection is an amazing opportunity."

"You're covering the Selection?" Nat asked.

David spoke up then, "Yes, we thought it would be best to have someone with some experience covering it, and media coverage is in Logan's genes."

Meaning they could trust Logan and weren't sure about the others. Brandon was surprised by his own ability to pick up David's hidden meanings, usually they went right over his head.

"Logan will be interviewing the girls and taking pictures of them to release to the press. Any thoughts you have that you want to get to the public you should talk with him about, and any dates you want publicized he'll be there for, recording them."

"It appears we'll be spending a lot of time together," Brandon told him.

"It does, Your Highness," Logan responded.

"Please, just call me Brandon. As much as I'll be seeing you, it'll make things easier."

"Of course."

"I'm sorry to cut things short but Logan needs to finish setting up for tonight, the Report is starting in a few minutes," with those words David took his nephew by the shoulder and steered him away.

It was only then that Brandon realized how close it was to filming time. Girls were already starting to arrive. He spied Azura in a pretty, sheer black dress talking to Flara who was wearing a sheer, sparkly plum-colored dress with designs on it.

Miami and Callista were talking together, the former in a short cream dress with gold overlay and Callista wearing a cream dress with dark flowers on it. The pair made their way up to seats on the risers.

Brandon had to smile when he saw spunky, confident Sage laughing with shy, sweet Everly. Amara and Elody were talking together, both looking pretty. Elody was wearing an elaborate silver-gray gown and Amara a backless navy blue one. He'd barely known these girls for a week, and had only gone out with one of them, but he felt as if they'd been in his life much longer.

None of his family members were onstage yet, but Brandon decided that didn't matter.

He held his arm out to Natalie, "Shall we go?"

She smirked at his choice of words, but took his arm anyway, "We shall."

 **...**

Aria looked around, her mouth agape. It was so much like the set she watched every Friday night, yet so different.

The stage and podium for speaking were exactly the same, but what they never showed on TV was how complex everything was. Everywhere she looked something was happening. Guys were setting up cameras and adjusting lights, women were putting finishing touches on makeup. Everyone seemed to have a job to do except her. She looked on he stage and saw that Brandon and his parents were already there. So were all of the other royals except for Matthew and Serenity. She'd made sure to arrive five minutes early, but it seemed that wasn't enough time.

Aria looked around for her friends and soon realized that there wasn't many seats left. She spotted Vivian and Juliet in the first row, talking with Anya and Ginger. Aria couldn't help but admire Vivi's dress. The designer had worn a one shoulder floor length teal dress with detailing along the shoulder and waist and a crimped skirt. Juliet also looked stunning with strands of her bright hair twisted back and the rest curled and gracefully descending down her shoulders. In her tan, spaghetti strapped dress with a small train she truly did look like a princess. Juliet saw Aria watching her and shot her a smile and wave, but didn't give up her prime seat in the front row.

After looking at their outfits, Aria analyzed her own. Her maids had worked all week to make this dress, and it was perfect. It was the best dress Aria had worn in the Selection, it just felt like her. The vintage styled dress was beautiful. It was strapless and had flowered lace going down the bodice in waves until her waist where the tulle skirt started. It was all the palest shade of blue, making her look like a walking icicle. Her cream colored heeled vintage shoes pulled the whole thing together and her face was all made up, complete with her bright red lips. Her maids had done an amazing job and Aria was so thankful they'd been able to make her look so good. It was the first time her family back home would get a look at her, and Aria wanted to make them proud.

She continued her search for a seat, spotting Zinnia who was wearing a stunning, backless blush colored dress with a ruffled skirt, talking with Callista, Tristyn, and Grayson. The four looked to be deep in conversation and didn't see Aria as she watched them.

Aria perked up when she saw an empty seat, but then realized it was right next to Kadence. No way was Aria sitting next to _her_. Ever since Kadence had accosted her in her room, Aria had been avoiding her. Aria felt a little bit guilty for lying to the girl, but she wanted Kadence to leave her alone. And if she was honest with herself, all of their similarities scared her. They had the same birthday, were practically identical, and had each grown up with only one parent. Aria remembered what life was like before her mother married Tom Benoit, and it was not good. She had lived eight long years with a single mother before her family was finally complete, and Aria didn't want anyone to mess that up, especially Kadence. Aria knew firsthand how hard it was to grow up with only one parent, and now that she had two she wasn't going to jeopardize that. Her family was complete, and they didn't need Kadence in it.

Aria looked around and spotted one more open spot, right next to Taylor Lawrence. It was definitely not her first choice of where to sit but Aria made her way up to the third row anyway. This was the _last_ time she showed up late, from now on she'd be fifteen minutes early to everything.

"I can't believe she wore that!" Taylor shrieked, "It's my dress!"

Aria looked over and saw Taylor was pointing at Tristyn. As far as Aria could tell, the only similarity was that both dresses were red. Tristyn's had a high neckline and was made of lace, flowing down. Taylor's was red silk and had no back. It had a small v-neck that left more of her covered than Aria had ever seen before. Maybe she wanted to keep her reputation as Illéa's sweetheart. But that didn't stop her from having a thigh-high slit in her gown.

"They're _kind_ of different," Colleen told Taylor.

"Yeah, at least Tristyn has class," Aria added.

Taylor's mouth dropped open, "Like _you_ know anything about fashion," she snapped.

Aria wanted to laugh but held it in and sat down between Taylor and Shevonne. Shevonne gave her a polite hello while Taylor pointedly turned away.

"He's just so cute, we'd be perfect together. Too bad he's not a One," Taylor told Ember. She was pointing at a guard standing off camera but ready to protect the royal family if the need arose.

Ember giggled, "I know, and look at him," she pointed to a guy with bright green eyes who was adjusting a camera, "If he wasn't a Five we'd be perfect together."

Aria felt a flash of indignation at her words, "And just what exactly is wrong with Fives?" she demanded.

Ember's face flushed and she had the decency to look embarrassed. Taylor just scoffed at her, "What's right with them?"

Aria's temper flared, "There's everything right with creative, talented Fives. The problem is with spoiled, think-they're-entitled-to-everything Twos like you!"

She wanted to storm off, but there was nowhere to go, so she settled for turning around and facing Shevonne, whose eyes had widened after her outburst.

Before she had a chance to say anything however, Matthew and Serenity walked onstage, stopping all conversations.

There were a few gasps as people caught sight of Serenity. Shevonne sat there repeating, "I _knew_ it. I _knew_ it."

The princess still looked as beautiful as usual, but there was something different about her. The whole time the Selected had been there, Serenity had worn loose, shapeless dresses, but not tonight. Tonight she was wearing a very simple emerald gown that hugged her small curves. It had a deep v-neck and knotted at the empire waist. What caught everyone's attention however, was the small bump sticking out from her waist. It was very clear that Serenity was pregnant.

Once all the gasps had subsided, the stage manager ran over to the couple and talked with them before heading over to the Selected.

He addressed them as a group, "Ladies, we're going live in one minute. You won't be interviewed tonight so please just try not to draw attention to yourselves. David may talk with a few of you but if he doesn't, just sit there. We'll signal you when the cameras are on you, then feel free to smile and wave, until then just listen to the Report." He scurried off and went backstage, where he directed the countdown. The light turned red and they were live.

King James made his way over to the podium and began speaking, "Good evening Illéa. We come to you tonight with news on the state of the nation.

Supplies are being sent to Sonage after the devastating earthquakes that hit last week. Anyone who can donate supplies should do so as there are many citizens suffering.

The increased rebel activity in Hansport and Waverly is an issue. More soldiers are being dispatched as we speak and it's asked that anyone with information about the rebels tell authorities. They are there to keep you safe and can't do that if you withhold information."

At the mention of her home province, Aria felt a tug in her gut. She hoped her family was okay. If something happened to them while she was being pampered in the palace she'd never be able to forgive herself.

After the king sat down, Aria tuned out the rest of what the advisors had to say. It seemed like their reports were shorter than usual, everyone wanted to hear Serenity's announcement and Aria was sure most people had already figured it out.

The budget and infrastructure reports were done and David Fadaye walked up onstage. He approached Brandon who looked ambushed, it was clear he hadn't been expecting to have to talk.

"And here's our man of the hour," David said, "how is the Selection going?"

"Well," Brandon hedged, "I have been quite busy this week with meetings and helping to plan things. Not to mention this is the last week I'll get to spend with my sister before she's engaged and has to plan a wedding so I've been spending a lot of time with her."

At those words David turned to Princess Natalie, who shot Brandon a look of utter betrayal when the camera wasn't on her. Aria tuned that out as well, it was more of what she'd already heard. In her head she was designing her dress for the ball, it would be her best one yet.

Aria only looked up when David went back to the wings and Prince Matthew went to the podium.

"Citizens of Illéa," he said, "I come to you tonight with _great_ news," Matthew couldn't keep the smile off his face and Aria had to smile along with him.

Serenity stood up, both hands cradling her small belly, and made her way to her husband, taking his hand. She was beaming as much as he was.

"I am thrilled to announce that the rumors of my pregnancy are true. Prince Matthew and I are expecting our first child sometime in late March," Serenity beamed as she answered and Aria thought she saw a few tears in the princess's eyes. Matthew leaned over and planted a gentle kiss on her cheek. Everyone in the studio audience and all of the Selected roared their approval, cheers rang throughout the studio.

"That's right folks, you heard it here first," somehow David had returned to the stage without Aria noticing, "we are expecting a royal baby. For all news regarding that and Prince Brandon's ongoing Selection, make sure to tune in here to the Illéa Capitol Report. Goodnight Illéa!"

David's enthusiasm was endless and Aria really wished she was like that. As she waited for the girls in front of her to leave, Aria felt exhausted. All she'd done was sit there, she couldn't even imagine what actually _talking_ would be like. Brandon and his siblings did it every week and Aria wasn't sure she could. If she won the Selection and became a princess, she'd have to. Sure she got up in front of audiences for a living, but that was as a different character. What would people think when it was her, just Aria, up there? She didn't know what the answer would be, and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out.

Aria looked around and realized that all the other girls had left and that she was standing alone on the risers. None of the other girls were even in the studio.

Aria started to rush down the risers, cursing her small heels as she almost fell. Of course she had to be the last one and now if she didn't hurry she'd walk into dinner late and draw unwanted attention to herself.

She reached the bottom of the risers and looked around. She couldn't remember if she had come in from the left or the right. She honestly had no idea so she debated for a moment before turning to the right. She was running through the set, trying to hurry, and was very glad Amelia wasn't there to scold her.

Aria raced around a corner and ran smack into something hard. No, it was some _one_. She fell backwards, crashing to the ground and the stranger was propelled back too, though he managed to stay upright.

"Watch it," he growled as he bent over to retrieve what he had dropped.

"Watch it yourself," Aria snapped as she stood and brushed herself off.

She looked and saw that what he'd dropped was a very expensive looking camera.

"You are _so_ lucky this didn't break," he told her.

Aria saw that he was fidgeting with the camera, an expression of concern on his face. It was the same way her stepdad treated his cameras, their family's source of income.

Aria felt a bit bad for knocking his camera down, but he was also being rude, "It's not my fault- _you_ ran into _me_!"

"Yeah right," he scoffed, "Maybe if you were actually watching where you were going this wouldn't have happened."

"Don't blame me because you were in the way," Aria told him.

The guy laughed and Aria realized it was who Ember had pointed at earlier, the boy with startlingly green eyes, "All of you are the same, thinking everything is about you. Maybe if you weren't so self-absorbed you would have seen me."

"I am _not_ self-absorbed!"

"I beg to differ," the guy said.

"You know what? I don't have time for this," Aria told him, "there's somewhere I'm supposed to be," she turned and started making her way toward the other door, which she was sure would take her to the dining room.

"Self-absorbed," he sang at her as she turned around.

"Whatever," she said, but in her mind she thought _This is_ not _over._

She hurried out into the hallway and ran into Amara and Vanessa, at least she wouldn't come in late. There were a few other girls in the hallway too, including Callista, Sage, Blaise and Sera.

The girls started making their way up the stairs to the dining room.

"Can we change?" Blaise asked, pulling at her halter strapped plum colored dress. Hers had a thigh-high slit like Taylor's, but Blaise didn't try to show it off like the blonde.

"No," Sera told her, looking spectacular in a silver, white, and pale red dress, "We don't have time."

They reached the main level and were ready to enter the dining room when Callista stopped them.

"Just think," she said, "We survived our first Report."

"Yeah," Aria agreed, "We really did."

 **...**

 **So not my best work. I just wanted to get an update out to you guys, hope you like it anyway. He next few chapters will be dates so we can see Brandon and the girls. I won't show every girl's date but there will be quite a few of them that I show. I'll also have a fan favorite date pretty soon so make sure you vote on the poll if you haven't already.**

 **Leave me a review and tell me what you think and who you want to see. Hopefully I'll get the next chapter up soon.**

 **Thanks for all you support!**

 **~Jen**


	21. I've Never Done This Before

**Hey guys! How's everything going? It's probably super busy for those of you in America with finals and end-of-the-year stuff. I finished school last week so I was able to get this chapter out pretty fast. Hope you like it.**

 **HUGE thanks to my one and only reviewer** TheUlimateFireRose **and in response to your review: YOU are awesome!**

 **This chapter is dates for two of the supporting characters. They're really good characters and I love both of them but unfortunately couldn't give them Main character status because I had too many. They're great characters and their creators are consistent reviewers so they got the dates. Thanks to SolarisEclipse77 and ApolloSerenity for their characters.**

 **...**

"Oh my gosh, Callista, congratulations!" Zinnia gushed to her friend.

Callista's tan cheeks colored a bit and she smiled, "Thanks."

Last night after dinner, Brandon had approached Callista and asked her if she'd like to go horseback riding in the morning. Of course Callista had said yes. She'd just now told her friends about it while they were sitting in the Women's Room.

Callista felt a bit awkward since none of her friends had gone on dates yet, but she couldn't help but be excited. She had the second date in the Selection!

She still thought about Tiller quite a lot, especially about the kiss he gave her before she left. It had been the most romantic moment of her life, but here at the palace it was treason even to think about. All hope for her and Tiller had been dashed the moment her name was announced on the Report. Now, she was with Brandon.

"Are you excited?" Miami asked her.

"Yeah," Callista said, "but I'm also nervous. I've never ridden a horse before and I'm sure Brandon is an expert at it."

"I'm sure Brandon will help you out and go slow," Vivian told her.

"Ooh, what if you rode the same horse?!" Zinnia exclaimed, "That would be _so_ romantic."

Callista laughed, "I seriously doubt that."

"Besides, nobody does that in real life," Aria pointed out, "That's just in movies."

"Well it's _romantic_ in the movies," Zinnia said.

Everyone laughed, causing Amelia to look over to their corner with a disapproving gaze. She caught site of Callista and had an epiphany.

"Lady Callista, if I recall correctly, you have a date with Prince Brandon fairly soon."

"Yes, Miss Amelia, that's correct," Callista said. She heard other girls around the room muttering, her date wasn't common knowledge and some people didn't like that she had the second date.

"If I'm not mistaken, you'll be leaving fairly soon. If you'd like, you may leave now to go get ready."

Callista wasn't sure if Amelia was being nice or if she just wanted Callista gone.

"Thank you," Callista said and she made her way out of the Women's Room and up to the second floor. When she got to her room she realized that she only had thirty minutes until Brandon would be there to pick her up. That was _not_ enough time to get ready! It was a good thing her maids were miracle workers.

Thirty minutes later, Callista was dressed in long cream riding gown with flower embellishments on it. It was very similar to her dress from the Report the previous night, but Callista loved it anyway. She was a bit nervous because it was strapless, but her maids assured her it would be fine. Since she'd never ridden before, they thought she would be going slow and only worried about making her look pretty, not the practicality of her outfit. Her makeup was kept natural, the way she liked it, and her long caramel hair was curled then pulled back in a braided low ponytail.

Brandon knocked on the door just as her maids finished spraying her hair so that it would stay. Callista's head maid, Leighton, raced over to the door, opened it, and swept into a dramatic curtsy.

Brandon stood on the other side of the door and he took Callista's breath away. He was dressed much more causally than usual, it made Callista feel as if they were two normal people on a date, not a Prince and a Selected.

"You look beautiful," Brandon told her shyly.

Callista beamed, "Thank you."

He offered her his arm, "Are you ready to go?"

Callista took his arm and nodded. The two made their way down the stairs and outside.

At the stables, Callista was overwhelmed by the gigantic, majestic horses in front of her. She knew they were gentle, but they were so big she felt the pull of anxiety in her stomach.

She turned to Brandon, "Okay, confession time, I've never done this before."

"Oh," Brandon said then was quiet for a minute, his ears turned red when he finally answered, "I didn't know that. I'm sorry, we can do something else if you want, I just thought you might like this."

"No, I still want to do it," she explained, "I was just letting you know so that you're prepared to be working with an amateur."

"That's okay," Brandon told her, leading her over to a small gray mare, "This is Gypsy, she's the gentlest horse we have."

"Hi, Gyspsy," Callista said as she stroked the mare's long nose.

Brandon led Gypsy out of the stall and to a waiting groom who saddled her. A large black stallion was already saddled and Callista assumed it was Brandon's mount.

"Do I just. . . _get on_?" Callista asked, sticking a foot into the stirrup.

"Yep," Brandon said then turned and looked at her, "but not on that side, come over here."

Callista walked to Gypsy's other side and attempted to climb up. Brandon put a hand on her waist and helped her into the saddle, instructing her on how to sit and where best to put her hands. Then he skillfully climbed onto his horse and turned to Callista.

"You ready?" he asked.

"I _think_ so," she responded, keeping a death grip on Gypsy's reins.

"Okay then, let's go."

Brandon was very patient when he instructed Callista on how to ride. He taught her how to turn, how to make Gypsy go, and, most importantly, how to stop. They slowly made their way out of the stables and onto the path that would take them into the forest. Brandon was leading her and Callista felt a little guilty for how slow she was making him go. She was sure he could gallop down these trails if he wanted, but Brandon didn't seem to mind the slow pace. He dropped back even more so that they were riding side by side.

"Everything is so pretty here," Callista said, gesturing to the lush trees and bright flowers on either side of the trail, "I bet you never get tired of living here, I know I wouldn't."

Brandon smiled at her, "Well it's all I've ever known. It is pretty, but I'd love to experience something different. Having all of you girls here has let me see so many different paths of life, and that's been great."

"I didn't really think of it like that," Callista said, "but you're right. This is the first time I've ever interacted with girls of all castes; I was always told Eights are awful and to stay away from them, but Anya was an Eight and now she's one of my best friends."

"That's definitely one of the best parts of the Selection," Brandon agreed, "if I was the crown prince I'd definitely try to get more caste interaction. They divide us too much, people need to see that being a Two and being a Six isn't that different, when it comes down to it, we're all people."

Callista smiled, feeling a but shy and unlike herself, "I think you'd make a great king."

"Thanks," Brandon replied, his ears turning red. He then looked down at his horse, "I think you're ready to try trotting now. Just hold on tight and don't lose your balance."

 _Yeah_ , Callista thought as she grabbed on tighter, keeping her balance was going to be difficult. Not just on the horse, but with her emotions as well.

 **...**

That afternoon in the Women's Room had been pretty uneventful. Amelia was helping the Queen prepare for their foreign guests and the Selected were all hanging out in the Women's Room, like they usually did on Saturdays. Callista had returned from her date and was immediately ambushed, everyone wanted to know how it had gone and what had happened. She was currently sitting with Taylor and a few others. Taylor wanted to know every detail, even after hearing the story several times. It shocked Everly how nice the blonde was being, but maybe there really was good in everyone.

Everly was drinking tea in a corner of the room, surrounded by her friends Yorra, Sage, Flara, Priya, and Azura when a maid walked up to them. Everly thought she was just coming to clear their dishes or bring them fresh tea, but in her hands was a tray with a note on it. And the note had _her_ name on it.

Everly accepted the note and quickly scanned its contents. She was aware of twenty nine pairs of eyes on her as she put the note down.

"What did it say?" Yorra asked.

Everly collapsed in on herself, her shyness manifesting as her shoulders hunched. She remained silent. Sage, who was closest to her, leaned over her shoulder and read the note. Her eyebrows raised.

"What?" Taylor demanded, "Did he finally decide to kick her out? Honestly, I'm surprised she's lasted this long."

Sage immediately jumped to Everly's defense, "It did _not_! As a matter of fact, Everly has a date."

" _What_?!" Taylor shrieked, "Out of everyone he picks _her_! I mean, Cosmina's a Two and Callista's at least pretty. Why would he choose a fat, nerdy Three?"

Everly felt tears spike in her eyes, but she tried to keep them in. All her life she'd been teased by kids because of her fuller figure. She'd matured early and kids had always made fun of her for being bigger. Now that she was older, she'd finally grown into her looks and was quite pretty, the only thing that still had baby fat was her cheeks and there was nothing she could do about that.

"Would you just be quiet?" Priya said, "Don't take it out on her because you're mad you don't have a date yet. I know the prince, and he's a great judge of character, I'm sure that's why he hasn't asked you out yet."

A wicked glint entered Taylor's eyes, "Well have fun on your date, Everly," she said sweetly, "We'll just see how long he keeps you around afterward," then she turned and left the Women's Room, silence in her wake.

Everly was too shocked to say anything. Her friends all quickly reassured her that Taylor was just jealous and that Everly was gorgeous and would have a great time on her date, but Everly had a hard time believing them. She quickly excused herself and went to her room, still not feeling quite like herself.

...

About an hour later, Everly was feeling much better. She'd gone to her room and lost herself in a book for as long as she could. All too soon her maids were rousing her, telling her it was time to get ready. She'd mechanically stood there as they dressed her and did her hair, not registering what was going on around her. Everly finally snapped back to reality when they finished touching up her makeup and sprayed her with her signature scent- _tropical breeze_. She inhaled deeply and couldn't help but smile. The scent was so relaxing she felt as if she were truly on a beach.

Everly walked over to her full-length mirror and twirled around, looking at herself for the first time. She was dressed in a pretty black day dress with red and pink flowers all over it. It had a high neckline but left her legs exposed. Her makeup was light, just a bit of foundation, blush, and mascara and Everly could still smell her signature scent in the room. Her strawberry blonde hair was curled with the top part of it pulled back and a few strands framing her face. She smiled at her reflection.

"Thank you so much, it's amazing," she told her maids, beaming.

"You're welcome, miss," her maid, Libby, said, "now go, or you'll be late."

With one more smile Everly left them, headed down to the small parlor on the second floor where Brandon had instructed her to meet him.

She reached the room and a guard was standing outside, when he saw Everly he opened the door.

Inside the room, Brandon was standing, looking handsome as always in his suit. But instead of the promised tea, the table was bare.

"Hi, Everly," Brandon said shyly, not meeting her gaze.

"Hi, Prince Brandon," she responded, just as shyly, then said, "I thought we were having tea."

"Just Brandon is fine," he said, "and that was a ruse, I have a surprise for you."

"What is it?" Everly asked.

"Just wait," he told her, offering his arm.

She took it and the two made their way down the hallway, the opposite direction from where Everly had come from.

They walked for a while down the hallway before Brandon stopped her in front of two ornate wooden doors.

"Where are we?" Everly asked, but she had a guess as to where they were, and she hoped she was right.

Brandon turned to her, grinning, "Well, I know you're a librarian."

" _Yeah_ ," she said, her smile widening. She definitely knew where they were.

"And so I thought, the best place to take a librarian," he gave a dramatic pause and put his hand on the doorknob, "was a library," he threw the double doors open and Everly caught her breath. It was beautiful. Towering shelves surrounded her, all packed with books. Her fingers itched to reach up and pull them off the shelves to read them. She inhaled deeply, the smell of old books filling her nose and she loved it. There were side tables all throughout the room, all covered with books, some left open as if whoever had been reading it would reappear any moment. The ceiling was several stories high and the shelves stretched all the way up to it with ladders every so often so people could get the books. Gorgeous chandeliers hung from the ceiling, lighting up the room and giving it a homey feel. Everly could have happily stayed there forever.

"This is _amazing_ ," she breathed in awe.

"I'm glad you like it," Brandon said, shy again.

"I _love_ it," she said looking around her, "I don't even know where to begin."

"Come on," Brandon said, "I'll show you around."

He led her to a big shelf in the middle of the library, ladders leading up to the top shelves that were way over Everly's head.

"These are all of the books pre-Illéa. They've been around for hundreds, some of them even thousands, of years."

"Wow," Everly said in awe.

"These ones," he ran his hand along some books with the author _Shakespeare_ written on the side, "supposedly used to be classics, but I can't make heads or tails of them. It's like reading New Asian."

Everly grabbed one called _Romeo and Juliet_ and opened it. Brandon was right, it was total gibberish, as if she was reading a different language. She closed the book and carefully reshelved it.

She caught sight of another book in that row, " _Macbeth_ ," she said, "I've heard of this but I don't know anyone who has it. It's super rare," she ran her fingers over the spine with reverence.

"Well you're welcome to read it if you want," Brandon offered, "I think Brook tried to read it once but I'm not sure if she finished it," Brandon led her along the shelf some more, "These ones are old but at least understandable. They were classics once upon a time too."

Everly saw a few familiar titles on the shelves. Books like _The Catcher in the Rye_ and _Little Women_.

"Have you read _all_ of these?" Everly asked, staring at the thousands of books surrounding her.

He chuckled, "Hardly. I don't have much time for reading and what free time I do have I usually spend outside or drawing in my room."

"Oh," Everly's happiness dimmed a bit, she didn't know if she could be with somebody who didn't love reading like she did.

"I have read a few of these however," Brandon said, picking up some books and handing them to her.

The two of them spent the next half hour looking through books and giving each other recommendations and reviews. By the time they were finished looking at books, Everly's arms were loaded down. She could hardly hold all of the books, so Brandon gallantly offered to carry them for her, along with his two that he'd taken.

Because his arms were so full, Everly didn't take one as they walked back to her room. They walked side by side in companionable silence, each one lost in their own thoughts.

Before Everly realized it, they were back at her door. She opened it and Brandon followed her in, putting the books down on her desk.

Everly turned and smiled at him, "Thanks for today."

He grinned bashfully, "I know it wasn't much, but I'm glad you liked it."

Brandon walked over to her and bent down, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek.

Everly's cheeks turned red but she smiled anyway.

Brandon walked to the door and Everly watched him go. When he got there he turned around and faced her.

"Bye, Everly."

She smiled even bigger, "Bye, Brandon."

When he left, Everly sat on her bed, still smiling. While deep in her heart she still believed that she'd never be over her first boyfriend, Duke; now there was something in her heart she'd never felt before. Part of her would always love Duke, but maybe, just maybe, she was ready to move on. She reached up and touched her cheek, where Brandon's lips had been just moments before. Yeah, it was finally time to move on.

 **...**

 **Alright, so let me know what you thought of Callista and Everly. The next few chapters will probably be devoted to dates so that Brandon can get through most of the girls before the second Report. Next chapter will be the fan favorite date, so if you haven't voted yet make sure you do!**

 **Leave me a review and let me know what you thought of these two girls and their interactions with Brandon. Who's your favorite character so far? Even if you already voted, just let me know who you want to see next. I just love hearing from you guys so let me know.**

 **~Jen**


	22. Is This Love?

**Hey guys! Guess what? Today's my birthday! So I guess you get an update because of that. Just wondering, how old do you guys think I am? Just based off of my writing.**

 **HUGE thanks to my AMAZING reviewers XOStarbrightXO, morethanjustastory, Cookiedoodles168, LeaGirlWriter22 (x2!), and Jess120 (my real life sister!)**

 **This chapter is the fan favorite date and the poll is reset so you can go vote away.**

 **...**

Juliet listened to all of the excited conversations around her in the Women's Room, for once in her life not wanting to participate in them. It seemed like everything was happening all at once and Juliet couldn't help but be overwhelmed.

The first week of the Selection had dragged on, with only Cosmina getting a date. But now, even though it was only Monday, seven other girls had already been on dates. Saturday had been Callista, Everly, and Yorra; and yesterday, Aurora had been absent from the Women's Room all morning, Grayson had a private lunch with Brandon, and afterward he had taken Miami out to a diner at suppertime. And, only ten minutes ago, Mona had returned from getting an archery lesson. While most other girls got grilled about what had happened on their date, Mona's had been out on the front lawn in full view of the Women's Room and several girls had glued themselves to the window to ensure they didn't miss anything that happened. While Juliet was curious, she was glad her friends hadn't been the ones to do that because it must have gotten boring after a few minutes. Not only were all the girls sitting on pins and needles waiting to see who'd be asked next, but today the first of the guests for Natalie's party would be arriving: the Italians.

All of the girls were nervous, including Juliet. It wasn't every day you got to meet the leaders of a foreign nation. Although most other people didn't get to see their own rulers every day, or even at all. She'd made sure to choose her outfit carefully that day, wanting to look her best for the royalty. She had on a sleeveless white dress that ended above her knees and had a lace neckline. She paired it with simple flats and her orange hair was curled to perfection. Juliet thought it was a bit weird how early the Italians were arriving. The ball wasn't until Saturday and today was Monday. But the Crown Prince Ricardo was twenty and currently single. Many people expected Princess Natalie to wed him when the time came. Maybe he was coming early to try and get to know Natalie better. Juliet knew she would like to. She'd gotten to know Princess Brooklyn over the past week but Natalie was a mystery. Whenever Brook came into the Women's Room she'd talk with Juliet and Zinnia. She talked with other girls too, but those three had a special bond and Juliet loved getting to know the younger princess.

Juliet heard the door to the Women's Room open and she looked up just in time to see Amelia scurry in.

"Ladies," she greeted them, "the Italian royalty are arriving right now. They're in the hall outside and we are going to greet them in the Great Room. If you'll follow me please," she turned without another word and made her way out into the hallway, all of the Selected scrambling to catch up.

Juliet stood up and looked for one of her friends. She spotted Vivian and made her way over to the Indian girl, who smiled at her.

The thirty Selected girls made their way down the hallway, all of their heels echoing on the marble floor. Everyone was whispering and giggling, wondering what to expect. They reached the Great Room and entered. Juliet had expected the room to be empty, but instead there were already a few people there. All of the royal family was there, excluding the King, Queen, and Prince Matthew.

Brandon looked great, the blue shirt he was wearing really brought out his eyes. He was talking to his sister, Brook, and when she looked over and saw Juliet she waved, prompting Brandon to look over too. Beside her, Vivian blushed at his gaze and smiled back at him.

Princesses Serenity and Natalie were having a conversation together, both of them looking perfectly poised and graceful. Serenity didn't have to hide her stomach anymore and now that the secret was out most of her dresses accentuated her bump, giving the press lots to talk about. Next to them was Prince Ryan, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but there. His suit jacket was off and his tie was askew with his hair sticking up like he'd just rolled out of bed. He was a stark contrast to the put-together princesses next to him. As if he sensed her gaze, Ryan looked up and caught Juliet studying him. He met her eyes and raised his eyebrows at her. Juliet started to shrug but then Ryan broke into his most flirtatious smile and gave a her a wink. Juliet felt her face flush and she looked down, not wanting to give Ryan the wrong signals.

Just then, the doors swung open. Standing before the Selected were King James, Queen Sabrina, Prince Matthew, and the entire Italian royal family. Juliet recognized all of them from the studying they'd done yesterday to prepare. King Emilio and Queen Isabella were as striking in person as they were in pictures, though in person there was a twinkle in the king's eye and laugh lines on his face that the pictures hadn't translated. Juliet knew instantly that she'd like him. The Queen was beautiful with her thick, dark hair and tan skin and she seemed much more relaxed than Queen Sabrina, though Juliet couldn't be sure because she didn't know the Queen very well. The two princes, Ricardo and Lorenzo were both extremely handsome with dark hair and soulful eyes. They were dressed more casually than Brandon in slacks and polo shirts, but that added to their appeal.

The minute the girls' shock wore off, they all dropped into curtseys, with varying degrees of success. Taylor and Elody effortlessly curtseyed whereas Anya and Blaise visibly struggled. King Emilio smiled at all of them.

"There's no need for that, ladies," his voice was lilting and had just a hint of an accent, "It's lovely to see all of you and thank you for taking the time to greet us today. I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you this week. I'm sure we'll be seeing quite a bit of each other, but for now Queen Isabella and I need to get settled. It has been a long trip and we could use a little time to unwind before we see you all again at dinner."

Everyone in the room curtseyed again and the Italian monarchs left, along with the Illéan rulers.

 _We made such a big deal out of_ that _?_ Juliet thought. She didn't see what the big deal was and was kind of annoyed they had to take time out of their morning for a two minute conversation.

Juliet was so engrossed by her thoughts that it took her a minute to realize that not all the Italians had left. Both princes were still there, standing in front of the Selected. All the other Selected were whispering about them, saying how cute they were and guessing at why they had stayed behind.

The answer became clear when, a moment after the doors shut, Brook flew from the other side of the room and launched herself at the younger prince.

" _Leo_!" she screamed.

"Brookie!" he shouted, " _Bella_!" and he picked her up by the waist and swung her around. When he put her back on the ground he wrapped his arms around her and she held him just as tight. Brook wrapped her arm around his waist and Lorenzo threw one across her shoulders. They started making their way out the Great Room, Brook talking so fast in Italian that Juliet, who had studied the language for years, couldn't even understand what she was saying. Lorenzo laughed and responded as they walked out the door.

All of the Selected looked around at each other. It was clear they were all confused but no one was willing to ask about what had just happened. Juliet watched as Ricardo, with much more decorum than his brother, walked over to Princess Natalie and offered his arm, which she took.

"Hey guys," Priya called, already halfway out the door, "pretty sure we can leave now, unless you know, you want to stay here."

Most of the girls started making their way to the door, but Juliet stayed where she was. She watched as Matthew crossed the room to his wife, his whole demeanor perking up just from being in her presence. He tenderly placed a hand on her swollen stomach, whispering something in her ear. Serenity burst out laughing, playfully smacking him on the shoulder. Matthew just smiled and reached down, entwining their fingers. Then he looked at her, his eyes softening.

Juliet sighed. What she wouldn't give to have a guy look at her like that. Her gaze drifted over a few feet to Ryan, who still hadn't moved. She was really confused by him. All of the rumors about him were that he was such a womanizer and that was all he cared about, but the whole time Juliet had been there she'd never seen him with a girl. And he never even interacted with the Selected unless they approached him first. There was definitely something weird going on there and Juliet wasn't sure she wanted to find out what it was. Ryan looked up and caught her staring at him. Again. He chuckled a bit and smirked at her. Juliet's face flushed with shame and she turned for the door, ready to pretend that had never happened, but she stopped when she heard her name.

"Juliet!" someone called.

Juliet turned so fast her hair nearly smacked her in the face. Brandon was hurrying over to her, and she felt her heart give a little skip as she watched him.

"Hi," she breathed when he reached her.

He smiled nervously, "Hi."

Juliet looked at him expectantly and he looked down.

"I was just wondering if you'd like to go for a walk in the gardens with me."

"Now?" she asked.

He nodded, "Now."

Juliet beamed, "I'd love to."

Brandon offered her his arm and Juliet took it. They made their way out into the hallway where a few girls were lingering. They saw Juliet and a few gave her envious looks. Juliet shrank against Brandon's arm until they were out of sight.

At the end of the hallway were gorgeous french double doors that led out into the flowering gardens. A guard opened them to allow Juliet and Brandon out.

The minute they stepped outside Juliet felt the sun on her face and could smell all of the flowers. Birds were chirping and everything was perfect, it was almost like a scene out of a movie.

Brandon led her down a stone path with gorgeous bushes on either side. Up ahead were several trees that hung low, giving nice shade over the path.

The walked in silence for a bit, neither one sure what to say.

"So," Brandon started, "earlier you said something about a sister?" Brandon's voice raised at the end, making sure he was remembering her interview correctly. Juliet nodded and he continued, "How many siblings do you have?"

"Six," she answered, "I'm the oldest of seven kids."

Brandon's jaw dropped, " _Seven_?! I thought five kids was bad, I can't even imagine seven!"

Juliet chuckled, "Yeah things got a bit crazy sometimes."

"Tell me about them," Brandon said.

"Okay," Juliet thought for a moment, "Clara's the youngest. She's eleven."

"Wait," Brandon interrupted, "You're seventeen and she's eleven? So there's seven of you all within six years of each other?"

"Well, I'm almost eighteen, but yeah. And I mean, Christopher and Nate are twins and that wasn't planned, but we're all pretty close in age."

"Wow, that's impressive," Brandon said, "but keep going, tell me about Clara."

Juliet smiled, "Well she's absolutely _adorable_. I love her a lot but she can be a bit spoiled since she's the baby. She's an artist and, I don't know how, but everything she paints always turns out perfect. Seriously, I'm kind of jealous. She puts like no effort in and gets an amazing abstract painting."

"She sounds great," Brandon said.

"Next is Alexander, he's twelve. I'm not super close with him. He's kind of a loner. He's not close with anyone really. He's a tap dancer and an actor. He spends most of his time in his room practicing or running through his lines.

Lillie's thirteen. She's amazing. Even though she's younger than me, I really admire her. She's one of the most genuine, caring people I know. I've always wished I was closer with Lillie, but I mainly hung out with Stella and didn't get to know her, which I _really_ regret now."

"Hey," Brandon told her, seeing how upset she was, "there's still time, it's not a done deal. Get to know her now, I'm sure she misses you and wants to know you just as much."

"Thanks," Juliet said, growing quiet for a minute, "The twins are next. They're fifteen. Christopher is a photojournalist and he's quiet like Alexander. He's always wanted to be a real writer but he can't as a Five. You know, everybody always talks about that twin bond but my brothers are _total_ opposites. I don't think they have that, they hardly even talk to each other. Nate is closest with Stella since we started fighting. I think his twin bond is with her. They make all kinds of jokes that no one else gets. I mean, they just go on and on for like hours and nobody else can even understand them. Stella's the oldest besides me, she's almost seventeen. We were always super close growing up. She was my best friend, we did everything together. Everyone likes her, I don't think there's anyone who knows her that doesn't like her. There's just some quality about her, I don't know what it is, but you want her to like you and you'll do whatever it takes for that to happen. Even though you know she's not the nicest person, you want to be the exception and have her treat you well. And she did, for a while. She's the one who convinced me to sign up for the Selection you know," Juliet said. It wasn't the whole truth, but it was true so she didn't feel bad saying it, "so I guess I kind of owe her for that," Juliet shrugged, not feeling particularly generous towards her sister. Stella hadn't even bothered to come to Juliet's sendoff, instead opting to hang out with her boyfriend, throwing it in Juliet's face again that she had one and Juliet didn't.

Brandon took in all she'd said then asked, "What happened? You said you _were_ close? Are you not anymore?"

Juliet sighed, not really wanting to get into it, "No, we're not close anymore. We used to be all each other had, but that changed. Life just happened. I was going to the ballet academy so I wasn't home much anymore and Stella was always helping out at plays and we just grew apart. I'm not really sure what happened," Juliet told him. But she was lying, she knew exactly what had happened. She remembered it like it was yesterday.

Stella had been running behind on some of the costumes for the play and has enlisted Juliet's help. Juliet was hanging out backstage when she met him: Peter Arquette. Peter had been the perfect guy for her. It was obvious he liked her from the start, and she was just as smitten with him. Soon Juliet, who had never been an object of affection before, began to obsess over Peter. He was all she would talk about and every thought of hers related back to him. Stella, who was always used to the attention in the family, had gone nuts. Everyone else in the family was tired of hearing about Peter, but especially Stella. She began working longer hours and volunteering more, so that every time Juliet opened her mouth, she could break in with her own story and not have to hear more about Peter. At first Juliet ignored it, but then she grew upset. She had always supported Stella in _everything_ , and this was the most important thing that had ever happened to her and Stella couldn't even pretend to be happy. Juliet had been happy when Stella got her first kiss before her, even though she was younger.

Finally, after a few months of putting up with always being cut off, Juliet confronted Stella about it. She was almost in tears, thinking that her sister didn't support her and her relationship, and would always try to overshadow her. Juliet called Stella an attention hog, saying that she always had to have the spotlight and couldn't handle it when the attention was on someone else. Stella rebutted, saying that Juliet was just some hopeless romance case and that she'd never find love. The first guy who'd ever liked her was too much of a pansy to ask her out, and that was how her whole life was going to be because Juliet was just unloveable. And even if there was a guy who liked her, she was so messed up she wouldn't like him back because she was destined to spend her life alone.

Stella's words stuck with Juliet. After Peter left, nobody like him came into Juliet's life. Nobody flirted with her or asked her out and Juliet began to think Stella was right, that something was wrong with her. She never had a boyfriend and Stella always did, always rubbing her relationships in Juliet's face and reinforcing her earlier comments. Their sister relationship was ruined. For two years they ignored each other or said nasty, backhanded remarks that they mumbled under their breath. Their relationship started mending a bit but neither of them was willing to make the first move and apologize and Juliet still agonized over Stella's words. When the Selection came along, she thought about what Stella had said; so, in a last ditch effort to find love, she'd signed up for the Selection.

"That's too bad," Brandon said.

Juliet had to think back to what they'd been talking about, her relationship with Stella, before saying, "Yeah, it is."

"Maybe with you being gone she'll realize how much she misses you and things will work out," he suggested.

Juliet smiled at his optimism, "Maybe," she said, but in her head she thought _Fat chance_ , then in an effort to change the subject she said, "So tell me about your family."

He smirked at her, "You already know them."

"Not really, I mean I've seen them but I don't actually know them. Like what's the deal with Brook and Lorenzo? I mean, that was crazy back there in the Great Room."

Brandon laughed, "Well, Brook _is_ crazy. It's kind of common knowledge around the palace, but Brook and Leo are crazy for each other. When she turns eighteen there's no doubt he'll ask her to marry him, and she'll definitely say yes. They only see each other a few times a year so when they're together they pretty much ignore everyone else in the room. I'm pretty sure that's most of the reason the Italians came so early, so that Brook could see Leo. Their relationship is why I don't think Nat and Ricardo will end up together. Illéa's already allying with Italy through Brook so we don't need Natalie to do it as well."

"So Natalie doesn't like Ricardo?" Juliet asked, puzzled.

"She does as a friend. Honestly, she's just not ready to get married. I mean, she's not even eighteen yet. She just wants to enjoy life, but the whole country is expecting her to get married and she can't let them down."

Juliet saw the look in his eyes and asked, "Is that how you felt? About the Selection?"

Brandon sighed and looked at her, "A little. I wasn't sure about it at first, but _everyone_ expected me to, especially after Ryan. We already had one radical prince and I don't think the country could handle two, so I did it. Now that I've met all you girls and gotten to know you, I don't know, it might not be so bad."

Juliet smiled and nudged him with her shoulder, "I'm glad we're growing on you."

"Yeah, me too," Brandon admitted.

Juliet grinned again, then looked around. They'd already made a lap around one of the smaller gardens and were now back on the main path where they'd started.

Brandon leaned down and plucked a bright pink flower from her bush nearest him and handed it to Juliet, "It was really nice getting to know you today."

"It was nice talking to you too."

"I have a meeting that I have to go to, so I have to leave."

"That's okay," Juliet said.

"Thanks for understanding," Brandon said. He picked up her hand gently and placed a kiss on the back of it before turning and leaving.

Juliet smiled as she watched him leave. She reached down and felt her hand, where his lips had just been. Her heart sped up as she looked at him, but she'd expected something more. Every other girl would be over the moon if they had a date with a prince and Juliet just felt. . . normal. No sparks, no fireworks, nothing. Brandon was nice and she'd had a good time with him, but she just didn't feel the connection she'd expected. Maybe it would come with time, or maybe it was because Brandon was a prince and she was a Selected so every then with them would be weird. Or, worst of all, maybe Stella was right. Maybe it just wasn't possible for Juliet to love.

 **...**

 **So that was really the first look at Juliet you guys got to see. Did you like her? Let me know.**

 **I have a question for you guys. How many more date chapters would you like to see? Brandon will date all of the girls before the second Report but how many more chapters do you guys want to read because it can get kind of tedious. Also, would you rather see several less detailed dates (like last chapter) or one detailed date (this chapter)? Let me know.**

 **I think that's everything and don't forget to vote in the poll!**

 **~Jen**


	23. Maybe It's Not So Bad

**Hey guys! Hope everything's going well with all of you. Nobody answered my questions from last chapter so I think I'm just gonna make as many date chapters as I feel like writing. Let me know if you guys start getting bored with them but I think it makes things easier when you get to see how most of the girls interact with Brandon.**

 **I haven't been getting a lot of reviews lately but that's okay, I get that you guys are busy. If you just aren't reviewing cuz you don't like it then that's fine but let me know what I can do better! Big thanks to these awesome people who still review XOStarbrightXO, Cookiedoodles168, jess120, and morethanjustastory. You guys are amazing!**

 **This chapter is London's date. Not only is she winning in the poll but her creator reviews almost every single chapter. Star, this one's for you!**

 **...**

Brandon walked down the hallway, glad to finally be free of his meeting. Because of Serenity's pregnancy, Matthew had been absent from his meetings more and more, leaving the responsibilities to fall on Brandon and Ryan. But mainly Brandon. None of the advisors liked Ryan much and treated him like he couldn't do anything. Ryan was more than capable but he didn't argue and just let the advisors throw everything on Brandon's back.

Not only was Brandon taking on more responsibility than ever before, but he was also expected to date thirty girls, and entertain Ricardo (because Natalie was doing her absolute best to avoid him) much to Brandon's dismay. He just wanted a break.

It was hard for him to get out of the palace, but not impossible. The palace was so secluded from the rest of the province that walking anywhere was near impossible, you had to be in a vehicle. Thankfully, Matthew was the crown prince and therefore required the most detailed security when he left. All Brandon needed was to take one guard with him and he could go. He was seriously considering just up and leaving when he walked around the corner and saw London leaving the Women's Room.

She turned and saw him and both of them started talking at the same time.

"Hey-" she started.

"What're you doing-"

They both laughed.

"You go first," London told him.

"I was just going to ask you what you're doing right now."

"Oh, not too much," London said with a smile.

"Well, in that case would you like to do something together?" Brandon asked her.

"Sure," she told him, "Like what?"

"Oh," Brandon said, his ears growing red. He hadn't actually planned anything, he'd asked her out on a whim; although he had wanted to get to know London better. This was why Natalie usually helped him plan his dates beforehand, because now he had to come up with something interesting for them to do. He said the first thing that popped into his head, "What do _you_ want to do?"

She thought for a minute, actually considering, then it was her turn to blush, "Okay, so I know this is _totally_ nerdy, but I would _love_ to interview you for my blog. Maybe like an exclusive interview. We can talk about whatever and just hang out," she bit her lip, clearly nervous, "Maybe we could do it in the Report studio. What do you think?"

Brandon beamed, relieved to not have to do much, "Sounds perfect, but I have a better idea for the location. Meet me here in thirty minutes, and wear the _least_ formal thing you have," he gestured at her extravagant day dress as he said the last part.

"Got it," she smiled and dashed upstairs, presumably to change.

Now all Brandon had to do was change clothes, find a guard, and get a vehicle ready for his date.

 **...**

Thirty minutes later London was _still_ marveling at her maids handiwork. They had found her the least formal (though it was still quite fancy) outfit in her closet. She was wearing a tan crop top that was paired with an above the knee crimped pink skirt and a big statement necklace, as was her style. A small white bag packed with her equipment completed the look. A small strand of her hair was french braided and went around her head until it was pulled up in a honey bun with the rest of her hair. She had to admit this was the most like herself she'd felt since the Selection started. It was an outfit she would have worn for a normal day out, on her way to a concert or other gathering with her friends. She wasn't sure why Brandon had asked her to dress casually but she was excited for the date and felt butterflies in her stomach.

She reached the Women's Room and felt her heart skip. Brandon was standing there, looking for her. He was wearing a polo shirt and a pair of slacks and he looked good.

"Hey," she called out.

"Hey, London," he said, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," she took his arm and they started making their way to the front of the palace, "So where is this place we're going?" she dared to ask.

Brandon smiled as they reached the front door, " _Angeles_."

He swung the door open and sitting there in front of them was a nondescript, unmarked black sedan with tinted windows.

"No limo?" London asked with a smirk.

Brandon laughed, "Not today. Today we're incognito."

"Alright," London told him as she got in.

Brandon climbed in after her and they took off.

"How long of a drive is it?" she asked.

"About twenty minutes," he responded.

London took out her bag and began to set up her equipment. When she had everything ready she started doing her intro, informing her viewers about her _very_ special, _exclusive_ interview with Prince Brandon.

"You're _sure_ this is okay?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah," Brandon said, "I mean, it's not _normal_ , but I don't have a problem with it. And if it makes you happy, that's all that matters."

London felt her heart melt at his words. Never in her life had someone told her that. Never had someone valued her happiness _that_ much. From her father who only cared about his mistress and his new stepdaughter to her mother who cared only about alcohol and her movies. Nobody had taken the time to make sure she was happy and content, and then Brandon was saying it like it was nothing, like it was _obvious_.

She was so touched but she tried not to show it and continued fiddling with her equipment.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Sure."

London put on her brightest smile and faced the camera, finishing her intro before turning to Brandon, "So why don't you tell us what it's like to be a prince. Everyone thinks they know, but it's a bit more complicated, right?"

Brandon laughed, "You could say that. Most people think that being a prince means you get fame, fortune, and an easy life. They think that everything is just given to you. Sure, living in a palace and always having food is nice, but there's more to it than that. You have to go to meetings pretty much twenty four-seven and make decisions that affect millions of people. And every time something goes wrong, it's _your_ fault. Regardless of whether you had anything to do with it, it's your fault. Being a prince is no picnic, but someone has to do it."

London signaled him when he finished and Brandon waited.

"That was great," she said, "I'll save some of the other questions for when we're out of the car."

"Cool."

They waited in the car, chatting for another five minutes before they pulled up in front of the first stop- the old ruins. They were at the perfect spot for viewing the ruins. Nobody else was there and it felt secluded and cool. Nobody was really sure what the ruins were, they were huge letters up on a hilltop that said " _WOOD_ ". There used to be more letters but over the years they'd deteriorated. Right now the " _D_ " was very precarious, ready to topple down at the slightest breeze.

London was in awe of everything and kept exclaiming, "This is _so_ cool! I've never seen anything like this before!"

She asked Brandon some questions and interviewed him with the big letters in the background and after half an hour they got back in the car and made their way into downtown Angeles.

The streets were narrow and crowded, filled with people scurrying back and forth. Their car could only go ten miles per hour in the thick traffic. Soon they pulled into a crowded parking garage where London and Brandon jumped out, leaving their security behind them.

They emerged above ground, blinking in the bright light. There were buildings and people everywhere and everything was new and impressive.

" _Whoa_ ," London breathed.

"I know," Brandon agreed, then he grabbed her hand and started pulling her down the street.

London was gaping at everything, still trying to wrap her mind around it. She pulled out her camera and started trying to film _everything_. They kept walking and passed a group of teenage girls who stopped what they were doing and stared at them, giggling. Brandon didn't seem to notice them, but London did. A few other people had similar reactions, but less than London had expected. Though after the third time of having her picture taken, London had had enough.

"Here," she said, pulling Brandon into the nearest store she could find. It was a little boutique that had pretty clothes, scarves, hats, and shoes.

"What are we doing?" he asked.

"You said we were incognito, so we need disguises."

"Really?" Brandon asked.

"Yes," London replied, trying on a pair of cats eye sunglasses. She made a face at herself in the mirror and replaced the glasses, grabbing a pair of aviators.

"So what should I wear?" Brandon asked.

"Hmmm," London thought as she picked up a pink scarf, comparing it to her skirt. She debated for a moment before wrapping it around her neck and pushing the sunglasses up on her head.

She walked over to a display of hats and grabbed a blue baseball cap and a green one, "Try these," she commanded, "and then get a pair of glasses."

"Yes ma'am," Brandon joked.

London left him to pick his sunglasses and walked around the rest of the store, looking at all the beautiful blouses and skirts. She let her hand trail along the rack, feeling the soft silk beneath her fingers.

"You should get that," Brandon said, coming up behind her quietly and pointing to a midi length bright yellow skirt that she'd been eyeing.

London started a little, "I didn't hear you come up, you scared me."

"Sorry," Brandon said with a grin.

"Did you pick your hat?" she asked.

Brandon nodded, holding up the blue one. London pulled out her camera and turned it on.

"Let's see," she told him. He put the hat on and London turned the camera to him, "there, you're unrecognizable now." She got in the frame with him and showed off their disguises before getting ready to buy their items.

"You really should get that skirt," Brandon told her as they stood in line.

"It was pretty," London agreed, "but I don't have a shirt to go with it."

"So get one," he said.

London laughed, "I don't know."

"I'll find you a shirt," he said, "I mean, how hard could it be?"

"How hard could it be?!" she said, outraged, "sir, you may be the Prince of Illéa, but get ready to bow down because you are in the presence of a Queen. The Queen of Fashion."

"My apologies Your Majesty, I didn't know," he said it with complete sincerity but London could see the smile in his eyes.

"Well you should have," she told him, "see if you can find a shirt and I'll find an outfit for you and we'll see whose is better," she challenged.

"You're on," Brandon said.

London walked through the racks of clothing, looking for the perfect thing for Brandon. The obvious choice was to get something he was used to, like slacks and a dress shirt, but London wanted something different. She saw a cool grey dress shirt that would look good on him so she grabbed it, but she kept looking. And then she saw it. What was probably one of the only pairs of jeans in the store. London went up and took it, hoping it was the right size. She found a striped grey and blue tie that matched the shirt perfectly then grabbed a pair of dress pants to complete the look. After looking a little longer she found a plain white T-shirt and a nice jacket to go with it, then on impulse, she grabbed a beanie to go with her jeans ensemble.

When she walked over to the dressing rooms she saw that Brandon was already there, and he had a ton of clothes in his arms.

"No fair, you cheater," she told him, "that's _way_ too many."

"Well you already have an advantage," he told her, "I know nothing about fashion."

Just looking at his choices, London could see that was true. He'd paired different types of plaids and even had a striped top matched with a polka dot skirt in clashing colors.

"Alright, you go first," London told him. She got her camera set up and waited while he changed. The dress outfit made him look like his typical self, though the grey and blue were a really good combination on him. What made her breath catch was when he came out wearing the jeans and jacket, in that moment he looked like a normal boy and London could easily see herself falling in love with him.

"Your turn," Brandon told her, stretching out on the couch outside the dressing room, still in the jeans she'd gotten him.

London went into the dressing room and wasn't even sure where to start. Every outfit he'd picked was atrocious. The yellow skirt she'd been admiring had been paired with a gaudy, sparkly red tank top that clashed horribly and every other outfit was just as bad.

London put on the first outfit and came out ready to tell him how horrible it was, but when she saw the hopeful look on his face she couldn't crush it. When she told him how good it was, his smile was worth looking bad on camera and in her vlog.

She dutifully tried on every outfit he'd brought her, thanking him each time. She enjoyed listening to his comments on each outfit and especially liked when he said a white shirt looked good with her hair. She knew this would be one of the most watched videos on her blog. When she was finally done she walked out and began putting the clothes on the nearest rack to be restocked.

"What are you doing?" Brandon asked her, "Don't you want to get anything?"

"Ummmm," she said.

"At least get the skirt," he told her.

"Okay," London said. She grabbed it and began looking for a suitable shirt to go with it. She spotted a striped black and white tank top that she'd liked and grabbed it.

"You don't want this shirt?" he asked, pointing to the one he'd picked.

She looked at his sad face and it was so sweet, but she was _not_ wearing that outfit in public, "Honestly? No. Those colors don't go together at all."

"Oh," his face fell, "Did any of them look good?"

She chuckled a bit, "No," she walked over and took his hand, "But I appreciate it anyway. It's the thought that counts, so thank you," she leaned up and kissed his cheek, bringing a smile to his face.

"I suppose you're welcome," he told her.

"Don't worry," she reassured him, "I'm sure after people see it on my blog you'll start a fashion revolution. Pink and red together will be trending next season and everyone will want to wear plaid and floral."

He chuckled at her, "Really?"

She nudged him gently, "Hey, you never know."

That brightened his mood and he smiled, "I guess you're right. Now are you ready to get something to eat?"

"Sure," she said, taking his hand again.

It was too early for lunch so they went to a cute little cafe on a corner. They ordered different pastries and London got some fancy coffee drink that Brandon couldn't even pronounce while he got a smoothie.

They were sitting at a table talking when Brandon said, "Hang on, there's something in your hair," he reached over and tried to get it out but ended up just pulling her hair.

"Ow," she laughed, "I'll get it. What color is it?"

"Brown," he told her, "it's right by your ear."

London couldn't find it and when Brandon pointed it out again she laughed, "Oh, I think that's just my roots showing."

"What?"

"My roots," she explained, "I dye my hair. I did it a few weeks before the Selection so they didn't redo it during the makeover. I think it's time though."

"Oh," he said, then after a minute, "I didn't know you dyed your hair."

"Yeah," she admitted, "I've been doing it for a few years now, ever since I started high school."

"Do you not like your normal hair color?" he asked.

It was a perfectly normal question, but London felt her cheeks heat up, "I don't mind it, but I've been dying it so long I'm just not used to it. When I was little I used to get bullied. A lot."

" _You_?" he asked incredulously. She was famous, confident, and gorgeous, Brandon couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that kids used to make fun of her.

"Yeah," she admitted, "when I was little I had these huge glasses that people used to make fun of me for. And I was always called a teachers' pet, because I liked learning. Middle school was the worst. I had acne really badly and the braces didn't make things better. I went to a private school and I was the only nerdy kid there so everyone kind of ganged up on me. I got good grades and liked reading so everyone either made fun of me or tried to cheat off me. It got so bad that when I was going into high school I had to transfer schools. That was when I reinvented myself. I didn't want to be made fun of anymore. My braces came off, I got contacts, and started dying my hair different colors. Instead of books, I was reading fashion magazines. I still got good grades, I just kept quiet about them and people left me alone. Junior year is when I started my vlogs and by senior year they were so popular that everyone wanted to hang out with me. They all wanted to be in my vlogs so that they could try and get famous too. Most of the habits I picked up kind of stuck, I started getting into fashion because I was being made fun of but now it's something that I love. I kind of dye my hair out of habit and I still wear my contacts, it's just who I am now."

"Wow," Brandon said. Never had someone been so honest with him. He _hated_ that she thought she had to change herself and it was sad that she'd been made fun of so much she actually had, "Well maybe someday if you're up for it, you could dye your hair back. I mean," he ran a hand through his own dark hair, "there's nothing wrong with brown hair."

"No," she said, "I suppose there isn't."

Brandon's words stuck with her the whole way back to the palace. They parted at the main stairway and Brandon stayed on the main floor while London went back to her room to start editing their video. When she got there, she pulled the pins out of her hair, letting it tumble down her back. She examined her dark roots that were peeking through the burgundy. _Hmmm_ , she thought. Maybe brown wasn't so bad after all.

 **...**

 **So thoughts? Did you love it? Hate it? Please let me know, I like knowing your thoughts so I can do my best to make an enjoyable story. Even if you don't have a character entered but you still read this, let me know what you think and who your favorites are. I'd love to hear from you.**

 **Let me know what you thought of London and her date. Next chapter will be Amara's date and then a few more after that before the Report. Again, just wondering if you guys prefer one long date per chapter or several shorter ones. Just let me know!**

 **Love you guys!**

 **~Jen**


	24. Poker Face

**Hey all! So sorry about how long this update took, I know I'm a horrible person. In my defense, I did make a pretty awesome character for XOStarbrightXO's story so make sure you all go and check that out, it's really good!**

 **Thanks to everyone who supported me and reviewed anyway, you guys are all so great!** XOStarbrightXO (x2), Cookiedoodles168, DracoVeelaLover, Elmers glue, Landy Anj, LeaGirlWriter22 (x2), morethanjustastory, Guest, **and my two new reviewers** Happygreenbirdy **and** Just a guest **! Special thanks to the amazing** wolfofstark **who reviewed not once, not twice, but SIX TIMES! You rock!**

 **This chapter will be Amara's date so let me know what you think of it.**

 **...**

Amara Foster looked down at the cards in her hand and sighed. She was about to lose another round of poker. For someone who was as competitive as she was, this was not fun. The first few rounds were great, her poker face was amazing with her strange eyes shining and intimidating, even though she'd had horrible hands nobody had thought she was bluffing and she'd won. Eventually though they'd figured out she was all talk.

Amara wasn't sure whose idea it had been to start the game, but it was fun. Several girls had jumped in immediately and Amara was relived to find out she wasn't the only one who'd never played before. It ended up being Ember explaining the rules to everyone and now, five hands in, everyone understood how to play.

"I'll raise you an earring," Aria said, tossing one on the pile.

Most of the girls who were playing hadn't had any money to bet, but Ember told them they could use anything. Vivian had suggested using flowers from the garden but Mona had pointed out how impractical that was. In the end the girls ended up using whatever odds and ends they could find around their rooms and the Women's Room. The pot was currently a hodgepodge of hair clips, jewelry, magazines, colored pencils, and whatever else the girls had found to throw in the pile.

It was just Aria and Amara left and Amara scrutinized the other girl's face, trying to decide if she was lying. Amara was usually really good at reading people, but Aria was an _amazing_ actress. She appeared extremely confident but Amara was pretty sure it was just an act. But then again, was she really _that_ good of an actress? She probably had a great hand. Amara talked herself in circles trying to figure out what to do. Everyone was staring at her and finally she sighed and threw her cards down on the table, "Fold," she said in defeat.

"Yes," Aria crowed. She put her hand down on the table and it was complete junk. Everyone groaned at getting hustled by her, but no one as loudly as Amara, though Kadence was a close second.

Amara gathered up all the cards and passed them to Vivian so she could start dealing. Amara was sick of losing, she _would_ win this hand. If she didn't she'd probably be out of the game because she was running low on knickknacks to bet with.

Vivian started shuffling the deck and Ember started talking. Amara had never really hung out with Ember before, seeing as she usually hung out with Taylor, but the other redhead was actually pretty cool.

"Does anyone know where Anya is?" she wondered.

"No," Mona said, "she's probably on a date."

London had returned from a date a few minutes before Anya had left so most people had assumed Anya was with Brandon.

"Oh," Kadence said, "I thought Everly was with him."

"Why would he ask her out twice when he hasn't even dated everyone once?" Aria said as if Kadence was stupid.

Amara wasn't sure what was up between those two. Not everyone in the Selected got along, there were actually quite a few rivalries, but Amara wasn't sure why Kadence and Aria hated each other. The first day Kadence had talked nonstop about Aria and how much she wanted to get to know her but the second day she hadn't said a word and since then it was like the two couldn't stand each other.

"Maybe he really _really_ liked her," Kadence snapped back.

"Even if he did it wouldn't be fair," Vivian said, coming to her friend's rescue. It was also an important topic because other than Cosmina and Mona none of the girls playing had been on a date yet.

"It doesn't have to be fair," said Cosmina, "it's whoever Brandon likes and wants to ask out."

Ember laughed, "Easy for you to say, you've already had a date," she teased, "besides, I know where Everly is."

All the girls scooted a little closer, wanting to hear what she said.

It was Mona who asked the question they were all thinking, "Where?"

Ember looked around, making sure Amelia wasn't hovering anywhere near them, "She's up in her room. She's been sick all morning. _Someone_ got mad when her date went so well and they slipped some laxative into her breakfast this morning. My room's right next to hers and I saw her as she was going in. Her maids told my maids and they're _freaking out._ "

"Whoa," Cosmina said, "that's crazy."

Ember just nodded.

"Gee, wonder who could have done that," Aria said sarcastically, glaring accusingly at Ember who was friends with Taylor.

"Don't look at me," Ember said defensively, "I had nothing to do with it."

Amara looked at the table in front of her and saw that Vivian was done dealing. Before a fight could break out she said, "Let's just play."

Eventually everyone calmed down and grabbed their cards. Amara slowly picked up her cards, expecting another terrible hand. When she saw her cards she had to stop a smile from breaking out on her face. She had a full house. There was _no way_ she could lose this hand. She was finally going to win.

Kadence put down a few cards and Vivian started dealing her new ones. Amara was waiting for the moment when she could take no new ones and to see the other girls' faces when she did. A tap on her shoulder startled her out of the game.

She turned around and in front if her was a maid with a small tray. On the tray was a card with Amara's name on it.

"Miss," the maid curtsied.

Amara picked up the note, all too aware if the others' eyes on her.

 _Dear Amara,_

 _I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me for a walk in the gardens. The weather is quite nice right now and the flowers are gorgeous. I'm sure whatever you're wearing is fine so if your answer is yes I'll pick you up in ten minutes. Give your response to the maid and I look forward to seeing you._

 _Until then,_

 _Brandon_

Amara read the note one more time. All of the girls were staring at her but she paid them no mind.

She turned to the maid who was waiting, "No, thank you," she said, then turned back to her hand, grinning again.

Everyone's eyes widened at her.

"Wh-what, miss?" the maid asked, shocked.

"Tell him 'no'," Amara said, "I mean, you could make it more polite than that, but I don't want to go for a walk in the gardens right now." _I_ want _to win this game,_ she thought.

The other girls all looked at her like she was crazy and the maid scurried off to deliver the message.

"Amara, did you seriously just turn down a date with the prince to hang out with us?" Kadence asked.

"No," Amara responded, "I turned down a date with the prince to beat you at poker."

A few girls laughed and Aria challenged her with a "Bring it on."

The girls continued playing their hand and soon it was just Amara and Cosmina left. Amara was not giving up and she added to the pile until she had nothing left.

"Alright," Ember said, "lay 'em down."

Confidently, Cosmina put her hand down. It was a flush in hearts.

"Beat that," she told her.

Everyone looked at Amara expectantly, wanting to know if she had _another_ junk hand.

"I will," Amara told Cosmina gleefully showing her hand, "Full house! Read it and weep!" she reached forward and dragged the pot to her, happy to finally have won.

"Dang it, Amara," Cosmina said. She'd risked almost everything, certain with her flush, and now she had hardly anything left to bet.

"Sorry," Amara said. She did mean it, but she smiled as she said it, so happy to not be in last any longer, that her words probably didn't seem sincere.

She gathered the deck and dealt the next hand.

All of the girls were so focused on the game that none of them noticed the smirking prince watching them from the doorway.

"So I guess I'm not as interesting as cards?" Brandon teased them.

They all laughed, "Not to Amara," Kadence teased her friend.

"I wanted to win," Amara told her, "I had a really good hand."

"I'm assuming you did win," Brandon gestured at her big pile of winnings and Amara nodded happily.

"Do you think I could play a round?" he asked.

"Absolutely not," Amara told him, her tone light and teasing, "First of all, this is the _Women's_ Room and you, sir, are not a woman so you're not allowed in here. In fact, you may want to back up a few feet, you're pretty close to crossing the line."

Brandon chuckled at her but backed up anyway.

"And second of all," she continued, "do you see what we're playing with? I don't think you have any necklaces or bobby pins lying around."

"Hmmm, I suppose you're right," he conceded, "but I have an idea. How about you ladies finish this hand and then meet me in the parlor down the hall?"

"Okay," Cosmina told him, smiling from ear to ear.

That hand was probably the fastest one they'd played all afternoon. They were finished in less than five minutes and no one had actually cared about the game, much to Amara's disappointment. She'd won easily, with everyone folding quickly so they could see what Brandon had planned.

They were on their way over to the parlor, giggling a lot and making guesses as to what Brandon had planned.

Aria took the lead on the way there. Kadence pointed out that Amara should be first since she was the one he actually asked out. But Amara, not wanting them to get into another fight, said it was fine.

The seven girls entered the parlor and all of them gasped. Brandon was sitting at a round table with enough chairs around it for everyone. He had a deck of cards in his hand and on the center of the table, where normally there would be poker chips, was a big basket filled with wrapped chocolates. Amara had to admit she was impressed with how quickly he'd put it all together.

All of the girls exclaimed over it, excited to play. They took seats around the table, leaving one next to Brandon for Amara.

She sat down and had to admit she was excited. For the game, but also just from being so close to Brandon.

He waited until all of them were ready before he started to explain, "Okay, so the blue wrapped ones are caramel filled, the green ones are mint, red is strawberry, and white is coconut."

The girls all started reaching for the candies, trying to pick the ones they liked.

Kadence and Aria both reached for a white one, exclaiming, "I love coconut," they reached it at the same time and their hands bumped. They pulled back simultaneously, shooting each other identical glares.

Brandon hadn't really been around the two girls before and wasn't used to their constant bickering. He looked unsure what to do so Amara leaned over to him.

She smiled, "Thanks for doing this."

Brandon turned his gaze to her, "I'm glad you like it."

"It's really sweet," she said, "pun intended."

He laughed again and held her gaze a moment longer before grabbing the deck of cards and shuffling like a pro. Vivian divided up the candies evenly and move the basket out of the middle to make room for their betting. Brandon dealt out the cards and all thoughts of flirting left Amara's mind as she went into focus mode, dedicating herself to the game.

She picked up her hand and tried to keep her face neutral. She had a straight, this was good. She could probably win with this, if she played it right.

Ember, who was on Brandon's other side, put a card down to trade out and the game began. They played quite a few rounds and Brandon was surprisingly good. Kadence won several hands, but she kept eating her candies so she never really got in the lead. Vivian just wasn't a good enough liar, she was so sweet it was easy to see when she was bluffing and call her on it. Cosmina and Ember were both good, but they'd played before. Mona, Aria, and Amara were all pretty evenly matched and Aria and Amara were both so competitive that several rounds came down to just the two of them. They were both high betters and could clear their winnings in one round. In the end, Brandon ended up winning with Amara and Ember tied for second, which Amara wasn't happy about. She'd wanted to win.

After most of the candies were eaten and everyone was happy, they called it a game. All the girls got up and started making their way back to the Women's Room. Amara stood up to join them but Brandon grabbed her hand.

"Wait," he pleaded.

Amara wanted to give some snappy comeback or tease him about being clingy, but gosh darn it she couldn't. There was something about this boy that just got her and she didn't want to do anything to mess it up.

She sat back down next to him, "Yeah?" she asked.

"This was supposed to be a date," he told her, "and as the winner, I think you owe me."

Amara rolled her eyes, "You didn't win by that much."

"So is that a no? Are you turning me down twice in one afternoon?" he teased her.

Amara pretended to think, "That would be rude, wouldn't it? I guess I have to say yes then."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Brandon told her.

He stood up and offered her his arm.

"Do you seriously already have something planned?" Amara asked.

Brandon chuckled, "Yeah. Natalie and Serenity helped me plan it. I was going to use it earlier, but I just had the staff postpone it. I did come up with the poker all by myself though," he sounded so proud it was kind of endearing and Amara couldn't help but smile.

They walked a bit further down the hall until they got to yet another parlor. This one had a gorgeous view of the gardens and when Brandon opened the door Amara saw that an ice cream sundae station had been set up. It was absolutely amazing and way too much for two people. There were several different flavors of ice cream on one table and the table next to it was filled with any topping Amara could think of.

"This is awesome," Amara said. Even though she'd eaten a bunch of candy during their poker game, the prospect of ice cream was too tempting to give up.

Amara grabbed a bowl and a maid scooped up her ice cream. She got one scoop of strawberry and one of chocolate. She piled her ice cream high with whipped cream, nuts, and pieces of real strawberry. Brandon followed behind her and made his own creation. When they were finished they went and sat down, looking out at the gardens.

They sat in silence for a little bit before Brandon started the conversation, "So, you're a foster child, right?"

Some people might be offended by the question, but Amara was used to it, it had followed her all her life.

"Yeah," she nodded, not elaborating.

"Did you ever meet your real parents?" Brandon asked, then reddened, "Sorry, that was rude."

Amara shook her head but wouldn't meet his eyes, instead fixing her gaze on the ice cream in front of her, "No, it's okay. I didn't meet them, they got rid of me when I was just a baby. I don't have anything of their's and I don't even want to meet them. I don't want to meet the people who got rid of me like I was nothing. Too many people have done that to me and I'm sick of it. I'm going to find somewhere where I'm wanted and then I'm never going to leave."

"What do mean nobody wanted you?" Brandon asked, confused.

"I mean that I was the least desirable kid in the orphanage. I had the most turnover rate. Most kids just have one family, two tops, when they go to a foster home they get adopted. But nobody wanted to keep me. I got brought back time and time again. The orphanage management started bribing people to take me, they were sick of me getting turned back. I don't even remember my first home, I was too little. I remember the end of my second home though, I left when I was four. The wife was hardly ever home but she was very religious and when she first laid eyes on me she thought I was one of Satan's demons sent to punish her," Amara smirked a bit at the last part, people always felt bad when she told them that but she'd gotten used to it over the years and now it was kind of funny.

"No way!" Brandon gasped, thinking she was joking. Sure, her looks were a bit unusual, but not demonic.

"I'm not joking," she told him with a smile, "she really thought I was a demon."

"Well, she was crazy," Brandon said, grabbing Amara's hand and entwining their fingers, "I mean, you're definitely not an angel," he teased her, prompting her to shoot him a small glare, "but you're _not_ a demon."

Amara looked down at their entwined hands and smiled, "Thanks. I mean, I _guess_ that's a compliment."

Brandon grinned, "Oh, it was."

Amara smiled at him again before taking another bite of ice cream.

"What about the family you're with now?" he asked her.

"The Saxtons," Amara said as she swallowed, "they're my fourth family. They started fostering me when I was five years old."

"Five?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I've been with them over twelve years and they still haven't adopted me. I'm not holding my breath. They only took me in for the compensation. Since no one wanted me they got even more money for taking and keeping me. I guess they're the closest to family that I'm ever going to get," she said sadly.

"Do they not like you?" Brandon asked her.

She thought about her words for a minute, "They. . . _tolerate_ me. Mackenzie, my foster mother, treats me well but not like she does her own kids. My older foster sister Maddie absolutely hates me and I don't even know why. I think it's because when we were younger I scared her with my looks but that's not _my_ fault."

Brandon had never really paid much attention to looks. The people he was surrounded by were all pretty good looking and as a guy he never cared much about his own appearance. It was only after his Selection started that he realized how much stock most people put on looks. How often people were judged by their appearances, like Amara was. It was kind of sickening.

"I'm definitely closest with my sister Emilie and brother Ryan. Ryan loves to joke so we can bond over that and Emilie is just _wonderful_. Catherine is pretty good too, she kind of just treats me like a cousin or something and my younger foster brothers don't pay much attention to me at all, mainly because I'm usually gone and on tour with the choir."

"You've lived with them for twelve years and they only _tolerate_ you?" Brandon asked.

"Yeah, but I mean it's not a big deal. Once I turn eighteen I'll probably move out anyway. Although I guess now I'm a Three and I have the compensation from the Selection so I can do whatever I want once you kick me out of here," she teased him.

"Don't start making any plans because I won't be kicking you out anytime soon."

"Really?" she wondered, not sure if she believed him. Most people would have kicked her out on sight and not tried to get to know her. Brandon was so sweet and kind to her but she wouldn't blame him if he wanted to get rid of her. He made her feel comfortable and safe though and right then she didn't want to be anywhere else.

He leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her freckled cheek, " _Really_."

 **...**

 **I know, I know, this chapter was not enough for the long wait I gave you guys but I hope you liked it anyway. Leave me a review and let me know what you think.**

 **I have the next part of the story mapped out and I believe there will be four more date chapters before the second Report. Thoughts on that?**

 **I'm just gonna apologize again for the long wait and insufficient chapter I gave you all. Hope you stick with me anyway and I'm hoping to have the next chapter up by Monday so be on the lookout for that.**

 **Have a great weekend guys!**

 **~Jen**


	25. A Day To Remember

**Hey guys! Look at me, not making you wait three weeks in between chapters! How's two days sound? Because that's pretty impressive for me. Thanks to my lovely reviewers:** DracoVeelaLover, XOStarbrightXO, Cookiedoodles168 **, and my new reviewer** .assassin **\- in the spirit of this chapter, virtual cake to all of you!**

 **...**

Vivian couldn't keep the smile off her face as she walked down the hallway on the way to her date. She hadn't told anyone when her maids had approached her with the note first thing in the morning. She'd gotten out of her morning lessons and got to spend the morning getting ready for her date. At breakfast Vivi had kept the date to herself, knowing the other girls would find out soon enough, and for the time being it was nice to be the only one who knew. She'd barely picked at her meal, too excited to eat much, and now she was glad because the swarm of butterflies in her stomach surely couldn't be good for her digestion.

She smiled brighter as she caught sight of herself in a mirror. Her maids had really gone all out for her date. Her dark hair was pulled back in a pretty, twisted side braid and her makeup was kept natural with just a bit to highlight her big, dark eyes. The teal dress she was wearing looked good on her and the pretty silk skirt along with the cutouts on the neckline gave it just a touch of elegance. Vivian truly looked like a princess.

Her maids had talked her into a pair of heels so that she wouldn't seem quite so tiny next to Brandon and as she hurried down the hallway they clicked happily behind her.

Brandon had told her to meet him in the gardens for a brunch and as she rounded the corner she caught sight of the flowering gardens but Brandon was nowhere to be seen. She _was_ a bit early. She had been pretty excited. While she waited for Brandon she stared out the French doors, watching as the grass rippled in the slight breeze. Bonita was pretty, but there was something so alluring about Angeles.

She tore her gaze away from the gardens when she heard footsteps coming down the hallway. Brandon came around the corner and seemed a bit surprised to see her there but he smiled anyway.

Vivian, suddenly self conscious, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled shyly.

Brandon smiled back, just as shy, "Hi."

"Um, hi," Vivi laughed.

Without another word Brandon offered her his arm and started leading her outside into the gardens. Vivian was too nervous to say anything and Brandon's ears were red the whole time so they took their walk in silence. Vivi was hyper-aware of every sound in the gardens, the birds chirping, fountains bubbling, and leaves rustling in the breeze. After a few moments they came to a pretty gazebo. Inside of it was a small table set with a linen tablecloth and two wicker chairs around it. There was a pitcher of iced tea set in the middle of the table and two glasses at each chair. But no food.

Vivian gave a nervous laugh, "I thought we were having brunch."

"Well," Brandon started, a smile on his face, "I was looking over your form and saw that you liked baking. Natalie came up with the idea, but we're having a _cake tasting_."

It took a minute for her to process the words but then a smile broke out on her face, "No way!"

He smiled at her enthusiasm, "Yeah." He led her over and pulled out a chair for her. As soon as he was seated a maid filled their cups while another one brought each of them a slice of cake. It was marble with a rich buttercream frosting.

Vivian took one bite and practically moaned. "This is the _best_ thing I've ever had."

Brandon chuckled and took a bite of his own cake and nodded at her statement.

They ate in silence with Vivian finishing off her whole piece and Brandon having a few more bites.

"That was _so_ good," Vivian said while the maid cleared her plate.

"Yeah," Brandon agreed then asked, "do you ever bake things like that?"

"Well not exactly like _that_ , I'm sure mine are not nearly as good but I bake cakes. My sister Melanie loves to bake too, we bake at least once a week, if not more."

Before Brandon had a chance to respond, the maids were back, this time bringing red velvet cake with decadent cream cheese frosting. Again, Vivian ate the entire slice while Brandon picked his over.

"You seem to really love your sister," he said when the plates were gone.

She nodded earnestly, "I do. I'd do anything for her, she's the reason I came to Illéa, so that she could have a better life."

"Wait, you're not from Illéa?" he asked.

The next cake arrived before Vivian answered. She devoted herself to the vanilla cake with raspberry filling and pink raspberry frosting, not meeting Brandon's eyes. It was only after their plates were cleared that he repeated his question.

"No, I'm not. I'm from Ireland. I was actually born in India but I don't remember that at all. My first memories are from the palace in Ireland."

"The _palace_?!" Brandon asked, shocked.

Vivian nodded, "I was a maid there. My whole family was. When we left India we were so in debt, and at the palace we had steady jobs and were able to support ourselves better. We got out of debt but it still wasn't a great life. I wanted Melanie to achieve more and the only way to do that was to leave. I ran away the night before my sixteenth birthday. Some other girls came with us, they're the ones who picked Illéa. We stayed together for a while before most of us split up."

"Wow," Brandon said, ignoring the newest piece of cake in front of him (dark chocolate with caramel frosting and chocolate ganache) so that he could look at Vivian, "you came to a new country where you knew nobody and pretty much started over? That must have been really scary, you're pretty brave."

Her face flushed and she looked down, "Not really, I mean, it was hard at first, but whenever I think of Melanie it gives me courage. I knew that coming to Illéa was the best thing for her so that didn't make it as scary." She took a bite of the rich cake and started regretting eating the full slice of the previous flavors.

Brandon still looked impressed and Vivian's face stayed red. It wasn't that great what she'd done, anyone would have done it, at least Vivian thought so.

The maids interrupted her thoughts when they brought a lemon cake with meringue frosting. Vivian spent the next few minutes exclaiming over the cakes that were brought out, and Brandon had to agree they were great. She hoped he wouldn't mind that she was gushing over the cakes, but they were just _so delicious._

They talked about other things as well though. While they ate a cherry cheesecake Vivian told him about opening the dress store. She shared how she liked both math and science and had always dreamed of attending college as they ate yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Brandon told her stories of growing up in the palace and some of his thoughts on the Selection and how it was going. But for the most part they talked about cake.

About and hour and a dozen cakes later, both of them were holding their stomachs and groaning.

"I don't think I'll be able to eat lunch," Vivian said.

Brandon snorted in a very un-princely way, "I don't think I'll be able to eat _ever_ again."

Vivian giggled, "It was totally worth it though."

"Oh absolutely."

Brandon leaned back, tipping his chair onto two legs, "I was about to walk you back to the palace, but I don't think I can stand."

"I don't even want to try," Vivian laughed.

They stayed out in the gazebo for another ten minutes until Brandon finally forced himself to stand and reach down to help Vivian up. She took his hands and he pulled her up to standing. Instead of releasing her hands, he held them tighter for a minute before dropping one and entwining his fingers with her other one.

The walk back to the palace was just as quiet as the one there, but both of them were smiling. They kept sneaking glances at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. When the reached the palace, Vivi held back a sigh. She hated to leave the fresh air and warm breeze behind but she followed Brandon anyway.

He walked her to the Women's Room, still holding her hand. Just as she was about to let go and enter the room, he tugged her back. She turned to face him, getting lost in his blue eyes. She could look at his eyes all day and not get bored.

Brandon pulled her a bit closer and cupped her cheek with one hand. Her heart sped up, trying to escape her chest. This was it. Vivian _knew_ it. He was going to kiss her. She closed her eyes and waited, but instead of a kiss she heard the squeak of a door opening.

" _Oh_ ," Cosmina said, staring at the two of them and trying not to let her hurt show, "Um, excuse me," she edged around them and continued down the hallway and out of sight.

Cosmina had left the door open and by now all of the girls were staring at them. Brandon dropped his hand from her face and Vivian felt her cheeks blush scarlet.

His ears were red too as he looked at her, "Um, I had a nice time. Thanks for coming." Then he turned and walked away without looking back.

Maybe he hadn't been about to kiss her. Maybe Vivian had read the whole thing wrong, but a voice in her head kept telling her that she hadn't, and she couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if the door hadn't opened. But it was too late and there was nothing she could do about it now. Sighing, she entered the room and slowly shut the door behind her.

 **...**

It was just an ordinary afternoon in the Women's Room. The girls had all filed in after lunch and Tristyn had disappeared, on a date with Brandon. They were currently down at the movie theatre. Unlike most girls she hadn't seemed too excited about it, but maybe that's because after taking Sage to a professional baseball game, giving Flara a personal tour of the palace, taking Ginger swimming, and going with Azura to a carnival where she showed him magic tricks and they got their palms read, a movie just wasn't as interesting.

Aria was sitting with Flara, Azura, and Elody. She was talking with them because the girls she usually hung out with were talking with Zinnia, the only one in their group of friends not to have had a date yet. They were trying to cheer her up, which was not Aria's forte.

Aria had to admit that it was nice to get to know more of the girls. Flara was a firecracker and so much fun to hang out with. Most people thought Azura was mysterious but Aria had learned she was actually quite the diva and pretty sarcastic. Elody was just as stubborn and competitive as Aria herself so that made the two fast friends.

Just as Flara was getting ready to tell another joke, a brick came flying in through the window.

"What the heck?" Yorra screamed.

"Get _down_!" Kadence yelled as another brick came flying in.

Stuff continued rocketing in and something hit Ginger, sending her to her knees.

Aria dropped to the ground, crawling over to where Juliet was crouched.

"Ladies, hurry," Amelia ordered, making her way through the debris and projectiles to the door. She turned and waited for the Selected before continuing into the hallway.

"Come _on_ , Juliet," Aria said, pulling on her friend's arm.

"Vivi," the redhead said, pointing to Vivian who appeared to be in the middle of a panic attack, curled up on the floor.

"On three?" Aria said.

Juliet nodded and together they grabbed Vivian by her arms and managed to get her into the hallway, where Amelia was directing girls into a secret passageway.

Aria led her group over and they descended down the narrow stairs, keeping Vivian in the middle. Juliet mumbled reassurances to her every few seconds, keeping her going.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and entered a large room. Most of the royal family was already there, along with the entire Italian family. Lorenzo and Brook were sitting on a cot, huddled together and whispering to each other. Ricardo was hovering over Princess Natalie but it appeared she hadn't offered to share her cot. Yorra, Colleen, and Taylor were the only other Selected down there so Aria led Vivian to a cot far away from them. They sat Vivian down and Juliet continued whispering to her.

Aria sat down next to Vivian, wrapping an arm around the shorter girl but keeping her eyes on the doorway. She watched as more girls trickled in. Ginger was being helped since her leg was hurt. Everly was in a similar state to Vivian and was already in tears as she crossed the threshold.

Matthew burst in next. He glanced at his family, taking stock of who was there. He looked at his parents and sisters then saw Ryan.

"Where's Serenity?" he asked.

Nobody answered him. Nobody was sure.

Finally, the Queen spoke, "I'm sure she's fine, Matthew. She knows where to go, she's lived here for years. Come sit down," what she didn't say out loud was that his behavior was scaring some of the more nervous Selected.

Slowly, Matthew crossed the room and sat down next to Natalie, his eyes trained on the door. Every time it opened Matthew would jump up, only to sit back down when it wasn't his wife coming in. The Selected girls continued coming until almost all of them were there.

After what felt like an eternity, but was really less than three minutes, Brandon came running into the safe room, Tristyn trailing behind him and clutching his hand in hers. Brandon took Tristyn over to a cot and set her down, placing a kiss on her forehead before he walked over to his family. He leaned down and said something to his mother. She whispered back then Brandon spoke to Ryan for a minute before exchanging words with Matthew, who still refused to look away from the entrance. He vaguely gestured at the Selected girls and Brandon stood up and started making his way to the girls.

Aria watched as he made his way around the room, giving comforting words and touches to all the Selected.

"Your Majesties," a guard said, "it's time to lock the safe room, we can't have the doors open any longer, it's too risky."

" _No_!" Matthew yelled, "You have to wait. Serenity's not here yet."

The King and Queen looked at each other, torn.

"Matthew," the King started, "we can't put everyone's lives in danger. There are too many people here right now, we have to shut the door."

Matthew looked like he wanted to argue more, but when his mother shook her head, he slumped down in defeat.

The guard left the room, on his way to secure the doors. Almost as soon as he left, everyone could hear a commotion from the stairway. A few girls shrieked and grabbed onto each other. Ryan stood up, looking ready to attack whatever came into the room; however, he sat right down again when the noise gave way and the door swung open.

Standing in front of them was Princess Serenity. Her hair was disheveled and her face was sweaty. She was bent over her stomach, trying to take in as much oxygen as possible.

Matthew flew across the room and was at her side in an instant, hands patting her back and trying to help her.

She coughed and gasped, "Matt, get _off_. I can't breathe."

Matthew backed up as though he'd been slapped, "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

She took another breath and nodded.

"Well then what took you so long?" He demanded, some of his worry and anger comine out in his tone.

Serenity turned an icy glare on him, "Matthew Schreave I'd like to see how fast _you_ move when you're wearing a pair of heels while being four and a half months pregnant." Serenity turned and went over to Natalie and plopped down. Matthew followed and tried talking to her, but it appeared she wasn't in the mood to listen.

Aria saw that Brandon was talking with Seraphina, their heads huddled together as they whispered to each other.

She couldn't help but sigh as she watched them. Aria knew that when Brandon got to her they wouldn't be like that. She had ruined everything. Her face reddened as she replayed their date yesterday over in her head.

Brandon had needed a public date to get the people more involved, so he'd asked Aria, thinking she'd be most comfortable with it since she was an actress. He asked her out for a walk in the gardens and when he'd came to her door the first thing she'd seen was the camera. Or more accurately, the guy _behind_ the camera. It was the same boy who'd ran into her after the Report, and he looked as thrilled to see her as she was to see him. Brandon had introduced them and Aria learned that his name was Logan.

The whole time her and Brandon were out Logan had done everything he could to distract Aria and make her look bad in front of Brandon and the camera. Whenever she saw the camera he would make faces at her, prompting her to scowl back. Sometimes when she talked with Brandon he would scoff and roll his eyes at her words, making her ball her fists in anger and resist the urge to throw something at him. She hadn't even been able to focus on Brandon because Logan was such a pain. Everything had felt forced and wrong, then when they watched the footage it was clear all of it was unusable. It was not the romantic story the public wanted to see, it was all horrible. Aria's face had burned with shame when she realized how bad the film was to watch. Some actress _she_ was. She's been so embarrassed when she had to confess to Brandon that she couldn't do it, he'd have to publicize a date with a different girl. Brandon had been sweet to her, promising a do over date without the cameras, just the two of them, but Aria still felt like a disappointment and wasn't sure she was ready to face him yet. She wasn't sure she'd ever be ready.

She watched as he moved onto the next girl, Elody, talking quietly to her.

Aria looked at the girls around her and it was clear to see some of them weren't doing well. Vivian still hadn't fully recovered and Everly was crying in a corner. Ginger was petrified and Blaise, though still more collected than most girls, had lost her calm demeanor and was on the verge of panic. The attack still hadn't registered in Aria's brain yet, all she felt was numb.

Brandon made his way to the corner where Aria and Juliet were. Aria's face reddened but Brandon didn't notice. He all but passed over the two of them, giving them a few meaningless words of encouragement before his attention was on trying to calm Vivian. It seemed just his presence reassured her, and when he left she was much more calm than before.

After Brandon finished talking with the Selected there wasn't much left to do. All of the girls settled on cots, whispering to each other and huddling closer. Aria wasn't sure what was happening in the palace around them and she didn't want to find out. The only thing she did know was that this experience would be with all the girls forever. Regardless of who won and who left, everyone would remember this day. And that wasn't necessarily a good thing. Aria scooted closer to Vivian and closed her eyes, wishing for it to be over.

 **...**

 **Alright so that's the first appearance of the rebels in this story. Let me know what you guys thought of them and of Vivian's date.**

 **I know the date chapters are getting tedious, but bear with me. There should be only a few left and they'll be intermixed with other things (like the rebel attack this chapter) to help move the plot along. I pretty much have all the girls who are getting dates picked out, so if there's someone you want to see then LET ME KNOW. I'll also be having a fan favorite date pretty soon so if you haven't voted yet then go do it.**

 **At this point the ball is tenuously scheduled for chapter thirty so if there's anything you want to see before or after that, let me know. I love hearing from you guys and hope you like this chapter.**

 **~Jen**


	26. Call Me Maybe

**Hey guys! Hope you've all had a good week, and happy (almost) Fourth of July to those of you in America. Thanks to everyone who reviewed** XOStarbrightXO, Cookiedoodles168, morethanjustastory, Demigod18, and LadyAnj **, this story would seriously be nowhere without you guys supporting me and encouraging me to write more, so thank you!**

 **This chapter ended up being a bit longer than I thought, but it's necessary to the plot so I hope you guys like it and don't find it too long.**

 **...**

Kadence exhaled and looked at the small phone in her hand, gathering her courage. They'd all been released from the safe rooms an hour ago, with the instructions to stay in their rooms while the guards and palace security checked the rest of the palace. Of course the moment the officials were gone most of the girls had left, going to their friends rooms to feel safer. Kadence had gone to London's room, along with Aurora, Sera, Amara, Shevonne, and Priya. The girls were sitting there, huddled together on London's giant bed trying to get over the attack, when Amelia opened the door and walked in.

On seeing all of the girls there she'd rolled her eyes, "For heavens sake, don't you know what stay in your rooms means?"

"We're sorry," Seraphina said, ever the diplomat, "We just wanted to be together after the attack, it felt better than just cowering in our rooms."

"That may be, but it sure makes my job of finding you more difficult."

"Why do you need to find us?" Amara wondered.

Amelia exhaled heavily, the stress evident on her face, "With all of the cameras and media here for the Selection, news of the attack has gotten out. The public is panicking and I'm sure you're all shaken up as well. We thought you may want to call your families to let them know you're alright." She gestured at London with a small phone, "Miss Banks?"

London had shook her head adamantly, insisting that there was no one in her family she wanted to speak with. Amelia had nodded before leaving the room, in search of Colleen so she could call home.

It was only after Amelia had left that Kadence realized she hadn't spoken with her father once since the Selection had started. She was suddenly desperate to speak with him. There was no way she could wait for twenty other girls to go first.

It was as if London could sense the desperation in her friend. She'd jumped up, dug through her bag, and emerged with her cell phone. Everyone looked at her like she was crazy, but she locked eyes with Kadence and an understanding passed between the two.

"Do you want to use my phone?" London asked.

Kadence was so overcome she could only nod, holding the cell phone in her hands like it was a precious jewel.

She'd made her way back to her room, planning out exactly what she'd say. But now that she was ready to call, she was unsure. She knew she had to call her dad's cell phone because she had no clue where he was. He might be in the apartment in Fennley or he could be anywhere around the country on business. It had been nearly two weeks since she'd spoken with her dad and he hadn't been too thrilled when she'd left. Maybe he didn't even want to speak with her. Kadence stared at the phone again, as if the answers she was looking for would drop out of the sky. She waited another minute, steeling herself for whatever would happen, and then she dialed.

 **...**

He answered on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Dad?" The girl asked, brown eyes alight.

" _Aria_?!" He practically yelled, "How are you sweetheart? It's so nice to hear from you, I can't believe you didn't call sooner. We heard about the attack, are you okay?" Aria listened as her father's tone went from thrilled to worried in three seconds.

She couldn't help but laugh at the pure relief of hearing his voice.

"Calm down, dad. I'm fine," her smile dimmed a bit, "the attack was scary but everyone's okay. It wasn't that bad actually."

"That's good, but you know I'm a worrier. I probably won't feel better until I see you for myself."

Aria gave a light laugh, "Well that probably won't be for a while. Or maybe it'll be really soon, I honestly have no idea."

"Are things not working out with you and the prince?" her dad asked.

Aria's cheeks burned and she was glad her father couldn't see her. This was a topic for her mom, not her dad, "Oh, you know," she said with a nervous laugh.

"Um, yeah," her father said and Aria got the feeling he was just as embarrassed as she was, "Boys!" he called and Aria could picture him trying to corral the terrible two as they flew around the house, "your sister is on the phone, don't you want to speak with her?"

Aria heard a loud crash and pulled the phone away from her ear, knowing that one of her brothers had dropped it.

"Ari?" a voice called.

"Hey buddy!" she said, not sure which of her brothers was on the line, "What have you been up to lately?"

"I joined a soccer team after you left. We had a game today and I scored two goals!"

Aria knew then that she was talking to Liam. He was the more athletic of the two while Josh leaned more toward music and reading.

"Wow, so are you the MVP now?"

He snorted at her, " _No_! I've only played in two games."

"Well keep at it and you'll be the best soon enough. I expect you to go pro someday."

He laughed, "Maybe."

" _Liam_ , give me the phone," Josh whined in the background.

"Stop being a baby, Josh, I'm talking to Aria."

"I wanna talk to her too!"

Aria listened as her father intervened and eventually the phone was passed to Josh.

"Hey, Joshy. How are you?"

Arias could practically hear his eye roll, "Don't call me that."

She laughed and listened as he started talking.

 **...**

"Hey, dad," Kadence chirped when he answered.

"Kady?" he asked incredulously, not entirely sure if it was her.

"Yeah. I'm sorry I haven't called sooner. Things have been crazy here."

He chuckled, "I don't doubt it, but I'm glad you called."

"Me too. I have _so_ much to tell you. The palace is amazing, really unbelievable, and all, well _most_ , of the girls are so nice. And I got to see the ocean on the drive here. I've never seen it before, it was _so_ pretty. I really want to visit it sometime, I'm hoping I'll get to go sometime during the Selection but I don't know. Have you ever been to the ocean?"

"Yes, Kadence, several times. I'm sorry I never took you there. There's a lot of things I should have done but didn't, including what I'm about to tell you. It's something I probably should have told you a long time ago, but there was never the right time and even now I'm not sure, but you need to know," his tone was serious and he started rambling. Kadence knew her dad well enough to know that he rambled when he was nervous. It also meant he was stalling.

Kadence felt the pull of dread in her stomach as she waited for her dad to finish. But he never did. He just kept rambling. He was talking about her as a little girl and all that she meant to him.

"Dad, just spit it out. I can handle it, whatever it is. I'm not a kid anymore, I'm almost eighteen."

He sighed, "I know, Kadence. It's just hard. I still think of you as my baby girl, and that's never going to change. But you're all grown up now and I need to accept that. When I wasn't looking, you grew up. Without a mother, with just me raising you I'm surprised you turned out alright."

Kadence rolled her eyes. He was stalling again, " _Dad_ ," she whined, "just tell me."

"Alright, Kadence. I think it's time. Of course I'd rather be doing this in person but we don't have that choice." He trailed off again.

"Dad!" She said sharply.

"I'm sorry I took so long to do this, but the rebel attack made me realize that something could happen to you and I shouldn't have put this off. You need to know this, Kadence."

"Dad, what are you talking about? I'm so confused, would you just tell me."

He sighed, "We need to talk about your mother."

It took a moment for Kadence to process the words. Her mother had always been a taboo topic in their house and Kadence had learned at an early age not to mention her.

"My mother?" She whispered, shocked.

"Yes, Kadence, and not just your mother. We also need to talk about your sister."

 **...**

After Aria had spoken with her little brothers, her father was back on the line.

"So, dad, where's Syd? I was hoping to talk with her."

"Oh, I'm sorry sweetie, she's not here. You know her, always out. I think she's with Will right now. But I know she'll be sorry she missed your call. She really misses you and I know she was sad you haven't talked with her yet."

Aria groaned loudly, "I _completely_ forgot! I've written her like three letters, I just keep forgetting to mail them. She's probably so upset."

Her dad laughed, "She's fine, but I'll be sure to let her know about the letters and she'd probably appreciate if you sent them."

Aria laughed too, "I know. First thing tomorrow, I promise," then Aria grew serious again, "What about mom? I can't wait to talk to her."

Her father was silent on the other end and for a minute Aria thought Amelia's cell phone had disconnected. But then her father sighed.

"She's not here, Aria."

" _What_? Is she okay? Did something happen? Do I need to come home?" With each question her voice got higher and higher, filling with panic.

"Aria, calm down, everything is okay. Everyone is fine, you can stay at the palace. I'm fine, your mother is fine, everything is alright."

Aria's panic calmed a bit but she was still confused, "Well if she's not at home, then where is she?"

Her father sighed and Aria could tell he was debating whether or not to tell her, after a long pause he spoke, "She's in Fennley."

" _Fennley_? Why on earth is she _there_? That's on the other side of the country, what could she possibly be doing?"

There was another pause, but not as long as the last one, "She's with your father. He lives in Fennley."

"My _father_?" Aria was outraged, "Tom, _you_ are my father, she should be with you."

"Aria, you know what I mean. She's with your _biological_ father. She's been there all week."

"Why?" Aria demanded, "That man wanted _nothing_ to do with us for _seventeen years_ , why is she with him? He never cared when we were homeless, living on the streets. He kicked us out without a backward glance, why does he care now? Is it because I was Selected? Because now I'm famous and he wants to use that? Well he can't. I want _nothing_ to do with him."

"Aria, this is something you need to talk with your mother about. I've never met the guy and I don't know much about him. She's the one who can explain things to you."

"Well that would be great, except she's not here to explain them!" Aria said, still worked up.

"I have the number for the guy she's staying with. Your mom gave it to me when she left so that I could stay in touch with her. You should call her, she can explain things to you."

"Maybe I don't want to talk to her right now. Maybe it's _not okay_ that she's off with the man who left us to die! He didn't care about us at all, we could have been dead for all he knew and now he wants us back. Maybe I'm not ready to take him back! He can't force me to accept him!"

"Aria, it's not my place to get involved here. This is between you and your mom, but before I give you the number I need you to calm down."

"I am calm!" she shouted in the least calm way possible, then took a deep breath and slowly said, "I'm calm, you can give me the number." She forced herself to slow down and breathe as she walked over to her desk and grabbed a pen.

Her father read the number to her and Aria jotted it down before telling him goodbye and disconnecting the call. She looked at the phone, knowing she was taking up more than her fair share of time. She should just go give the phone to Azura, but she _had_ to know. She looked at the number again and dialed.

Aria sighed in relief when her mother answered the phone and not the strange man who actually owned the phone. However her relief was short lived and soon overshadowed by her anger at her mother.

Aria hardly let her mom get out a greeting before she was bombarding her with questions, demanding to know what she was doing in Fennley and reminding her of everything they'd endured without that man. The years of being homeless, hitchhiking from place to place, never knowing where their next meal would come from. Doing any miscellaneous job her mother could find, just to earn enough money for basic necessities. All hardships they'd dealt with without Aria's so-called father. All things that had disappeared when Tom entered their lives.

"Aria!" her mother said, exasperated, "Would you at least listen to me before you start yelling. You don't know what happened so you have no right to lecture me."

"Of course I don't know what happened!" Aria exploded, "That's because you'd _never_ tell me, no matter how many times I asked."

Her mother sighed, "I know, Aria, and I'm sorry. If you promise not to interrupt then I'll tell you now."

Aria paced the length of her room as she thought. Her thoughts warred between wanting to hear the story and wanting to give her mom another piece of her mind. Finally she said, "Tell me what happened."

 **...**

"I'm sorry, my _what_? It sounded like you said sister but I must have heard you wrong because there's _no way_ I have a sister and you never told me, _right_?" Kadence said, growing more panicked.

"You heard me right, Kadence. You have a sister."

"Since _when_?" she demanded, "Why didn't you tell me about her? How long have you known?"

Her dad sighed, feeling guilty at the hurt in her voice, "There's a lot you don't know and I should have explained it before you left, but I have to do it now. I don't even know where to start," he trailed off than said, "what do you want to know?"

Kadence thought for a minute, aching to ask about her sister but instead said, "Tell me about my mother."

He laughed wistfully, "I don't even know where to begin."

"A name would be nice," Kadence suggested.

"Of course. Her name is Stephanie Benoit."

"What?" Kadence asked.

"Benoit," her dad repeated, "Stephanie Benoit."

"But that's. . ." Kadence trailed off, she was going to say impossible or crazy, but was it really? Benoit was Aria's last name too. It had to be a coincidence there was _no way_ it was what Kadence was thinking.

"We were so young when we met," her father continued, oblivious to her epiphany, "so naïve. We didn't know anything, but we thought we did. We thought we were in love, I always thought we'd be together forever. I thought we had years together, but then we found out that your mother was pregnant. We had to get married right away, to avoid anyone knowing or Stephanie would have been thrown in jail. What should have taken us years was done in weeks. Love can't be forced, Kadence. You can't stifle it and expect it to stay the same. Which is what we tried to do. We rushed into a marriage when we didn't even know each other. Things were hard, but then you were born and they got better. We didn't fight as much and I really thought it could work out, but it didn't last. Soon enough everything turned into a fight, neither of us was happy. It wasn't a good environment to raise you girls in, and when you were two, your mother asked for a divorce. I wanted her to stay, but I knew that would just make all of us more miserable. We got divorced and then she left, taking your sister with her. It was the agreement we came up with, I got you and she got your sister. I tried to offer them money and help them out, but Stephanie was alway so stubborn and she refused any help, and eventually we lost touch.

I never thought I would see her again, and to be honest I was both terrified and hoping that it would happen. For the first few years I was always worried that she'd come back and try to take you away from me, but she never did. Then one day, out of the blue, I got a call from my mother. Her and Stephanie had always been close and she told me that Stephanie was getting married. She gave me Stephanie's contact information so that I could talk with her. I wasn't going to try and stop the wedding, I respected Steph's choices, but I did want to know what had happened to my other daughter. I called her and we had a long talk, I told her that I wanted to know what happened to my daughter and she was just as curious about you. We made plans to meet and then a few weeks later you and I went to Waverly for the first time. Do you remember that, Kadence? I was scouting a new location for a franchise and you came with me. You always told me I was crazy for putting my restaurants on opposite sides of the country, but I think it makes more sense now. I wanted to see more of my other daughter. Whenever I would go to Waverly Stephanie and our daughter would come eat at the shop so that I could see her. And," he paused, getting choked up, "she looks _just_ like you, Kadence. I wish I could have gotten to know her, but I know you two will get along great."

"Wait, wait wait," Kadence said, "just stop for a second, I need time to process this." She sat down and let his words sink in, thinking about everything he'd told her, "So you've seen my sister? Has m-mom," her voice stalled on the word, "ever seen me?"

"Tons of times, Kadence. Once we got back in touch she'd come out at least once a year, I'm sure you've served her in the restaurant several times. She wanted to talk to you but both of us thought it would be best if we kept things they way they were. You were already in your teens when Stephanie wanted to tell you. You were almost grown and you were happy. Her daughter was happy too. We didn't see any reason to stir things up and risk hurting either of you. Neither of us ever imagined that you'd meet on your own, and now. . . well now we're not sure what to do."

"What do you mean? We met on our own? Do I know my sister?" Kadence had a guess as to who he was talking about, but part of her refused to accept it until he said it outright. Part of her was hoping she was wrong.

"I don't know for sure if you've met, but I can't see any way you haven't. And she's not just your sister, Kadence, she's your twin."

 **...**

After her mother finished speaking, Aria was left speechless, a rare occurrence for her.

"Aria? Are you still there?" her mother asked, a worried tone in her voice.

"Yeah," Aria said, "it's just a lot to take in."

"I know, honey, and I'm sorry. You weren't supposed to find out this way."

Indignation flared in Aria's chest, "Oh really? Then how was I _supposed_ to find out? Obviously it wasn't you just telling me, like a normal person, because you've had seventeen years and you never once mentioned that I have a twin! It's not that hard, just 'Hey, Aria, you know how for a while you thought you were an only child, well you're actually not, there's this other person out there who looks _exactly like you!_ '"

"I know you're upset, Aria, but you don't need to get snotty with me. If you can't be civil then I'll just hang up and you can call back when you're ready to act like an adult."

She snorted, " _You're_ telling _me_ about acting like an adult. You've been keeping secrets from me since the day I was born! Is there anything else I should know? Am I actually a triplet? Are there any other long lost siblings I should know about, maybe a brother?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm but Aria didn't even feel bad, she was too angry.

"Aria Grace you watch your tone!" Her mom snapped, "I was going to talk with you about your sister but I don't think you can handle it right now."

"Oh my gosh, mom, _of course_ I can handle it. What I really want to know is _why_ you decided to tell me now. You waited seventeen years, why tell me now when I'm three thousand miles away from home?"

"I thought you needed to know now. Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out for yourself, that's pretty much the whole reason I decided to tell you."

"Figured what out?" Aria asked suspiciously.

"Who your sister is," her mother answered.

Aria racked her brain trying to figure it out. She glanced out into the hallway, looking for clues, and her gaze landed on Kadence's closed door across the hall. She felt an instinctual pull in her gut. She _knew_. She knew _exactly_ who her twin sister was.

"It's Kadence, isn't it?" she asked quietly, "That's why you're telling me now, because you have no other choice."

"Yes, she's your sister. I know this is hard for you, Aria, but I'm here if you need me. Any questions you have, anything you want to know, just ask me. I shouldn't have kept this from you for so long. And Justin is here for you too, you know. He already knows Kadence and he wants to get to know you too. He's sad that he missed out on so much in your life, and he wants to make up for that. He's here right now, I know he'd love to talk with you."

"Well maybe _I_ don't want to talk to _him_. Maybe I don't want him in my life. I already have a dad, I don't need two. He let me go and now I'm letting him go."

She slammed her thumb on the end call button before her mother could respond. Aria knew her mother would just make her see reason, and she didn't want to be reasonable, she wanted to be angry. Her whole life had been a lie and she wasn't going to let anyone force her to accept the truth now. She'd figure it out in her own time, when _she_ was ready, not when everyone else thought she should be.

Slowly, she lowered her arm, still holding the phone. Now that she wasn't talking to her mother she was much calmer and felt her anger drain away, leaving her exhausted. All she wanted to do was curl up in the gigantic bed and sleep. She'd think about everything else in the morning.

She walked over to the door, ready to give Amelia's phone to the next girl so she could take a nap.

 **...**

"So I'm _not_ an only child? And _Aria's_ my sister?" Kadence asked for what felt like the thousandth time, "Aria Benoit?"

Even though it had been what Kadence was thinking, she still couldn't wrap her mind around it. The girl who had lied to her, tormented her, made her think she was crazy, was actually her sister. And not just her sister, her _twin_ sister. Kadence looked at her closed door, where directly across the hall was Aria's room. Kadence wondered if Aria had learned the truth yet. She wondered if Aria would even care.

"Yes, Kady. She's your sister. By some miracle you both were Selected, so I guess you were just destined to meet. Stephanie and I shouldn't have tried to keep you apart. Now that you know the truth it's up to you what you want to do with it. I don't know how you feel about Aria, but whatever you two think about each other, you _are_ sisters, you're not alone, Kady."

"I know," she told him, "it's just crazy. I always thought it was just me and you, but now I find out I have a twin."

"Not _just_ a twin, Kadence. Stephanie wants to get to know you. She's seen you growing up and now that you know about her she wants to be a part of your life."

"She does?" Kadence whispered, awed.

" _Of course_ she does. You're her daughter. She's actually here right now, if you'd like to talk with her."

Kadence was stunned. Within the last few minutes her family had doubled. It was a lot to take in, but Kadence was so happy she couldn't keep the grin off of her face. She'd never be alone again. She had a family who could be there for her, people she could turn to who would accept her, just as she was, unconditionally.

"Okay," she breathed in answer to his question.

She heard a bit of static as the phone was jostled around but then a woman's perky voice answered and Kadence finally said the one word she'd only dreamed of, "Mom?"

 **...**

 **So not my best work but I've been planning this scene for a while and just couldn't get it to come out quite how I wanted. Let me know what you guys thought about this chapter and what happened. Which twin is your favorite? I know most of you said Kadence early on, is it still that way?**

 **Next chapter will be more dates so make sure to vote in the poll because there's a tie right now for second. London is winning but she already had a date so the second place girl will get a date, so get your votes in.**

 **As always, leave me a review and let me know what your think, good or bad.**

 **Until next time!**

 **~Jen**


	27. Can You Handle It?

**Hey guys! So I got a lot of feedback from last chapter, but for the most part you guys seemed to be excited about the twins finding out. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and let me know their thoughts: LadyAnj, XOStarbrightXO, wolfofstark (x3), Happygreenbirdy, DracoVeelaLover, Cookiedoodles168, Demigod18, Scarlett Brinnley Brookson, and morethanjustastory.**

 **This chapter has more dates but bear with me, I'm trying to break them up with other things as well to keep the plot moving, but the dates are nice to get a feel for the girls and Brandon and their interactions. Hope you all like this chapter!**

 **...**

Brandon groaned as he rolled out of bed. He'd been so tired after helping Matthew and his father oversee the reconstruction last night and helping tighten palace security to find out what had gone wrong. Matthew was still distraught after how long it took Serenity to get to the safe room and it was obvious he was more focused on that than on what had actually happened to the palace. So the responsibility of fixing things fell on Brandon and his father. Overall things hadn't been too bad, just surface damage that was easily fixed, but after going months without an attack it took longer to right the mess than it should have.

After hours of helping, Brandon was worn out. All he'd wanted to do was eat supper and go to bed, but on his way to his room Amelia had stopped him. She'd informed him that there were three girls in his study that wished to speak with him. When Brandon had opened the door he'd been met by Grayson, Everly, and Ginger.

Everly and Ginger were horrified while Grayson was just angry. She'd told him, "I didn't turn my life around just for it to end now because of some revolutionary wannabes."

Everly and Ginger had echoed her words, both a bit traumatized by the attack. Ginger had been injured and Everly had already fallen ill once, they were both ready to go home.

Brandon had been a bit blindsided by the girls' request, but of course he'd said they could leave, he'd just asked if they could wait until after Natalie's birthday party so that they could be part of a bigger elimination. His father's words from his last elimination still echoed in his ears and Brandon didn't want to disappoint again.

As Brandon got ready for the day he couldn't help but think about the girls who'd asked to leave. He hadn't been extremely close to any of them, but they weren't girls he would have eliminated yet on his own. He supposed he should be grateful that only three girls had been scared off. After the first attack in Matthew's Selection, seven girls had asked to go home. Maybe Brandon's girls were stronger, or maybe they were just more determined to win the crown. Brandon wished he knew which it was.

Brandon dressed himself the most casual he had in a while, choosing comfort for the day instead of his usual put together self. He'd already slept in and missed breakfast, which would no doubt upset his mother, but Brandon didn't care anymore, so there was no point in going downstairs. All of his work for the day could be done from his room, and Brandon planned on doing just that.

He poked his head into the hall and saw a maid leaving Natalie's room. Brandon quickly called her over and asked for a light brunch to be brought up for him. He planned on working through lunch as well, but he didn't tell the maid that. With a quick curtsy she left, off to get his food, and Brandon reentered his room. He glanced over at his desk and it seemed as if his pile of work had doubled in the short time he'd been out. If he had this much he couldn't even imagine how much Matthew had to do. This was going to take him all day, there was no way he could do it by himself.

Then, he had a rare stroke of genius. He didn't have to do it by himself. There was one person he knew who would help him out if he asked. One person who loved policy and organizing and protocol more than anyone else he knew. The question wasn't whether she would help him- Brandon knew she would- it was whether or not he could bring himself to ask her. But one more look at his paper covered desk had Brandon scribbling a note on the first piece of scratch paper he could find.

 **...**

Priya sat in her seat in the Women's Room, sandwiched between her friends Shevonne and Eldoy, trying to keep a pleasant, interested look on her face as Amelia talked. Usually Priya didn't have to force her interest, she loved learning, and the inner workings of the palace never failed to fascinate her. It was partly why she loved her job so much, she got to learn all about politics and how the country worked. She knew that someday she was going to be an amazing politician, whether she was a governor, an advisor, whatever she picked. But today, she had to force her eyes open, trying not to nod off while Amelia kept talking.

Priya could tell that Shevonne and Elody were just as bored as she was. Shevonne was a Two and probably had already learned the protocol years ago, and though Elody was an Eight, she'd grown up as a Two and already knew everything Amelia was saying, just like Priya did.

The topics Amelia was telling them about were things that Priya had learned when she was a little girl and she really didn't want to sit through lessons that she'd learned years ago. She'd thought the Selection lessons would be a bit more interesting, but it was hard when you had girls from all different walks of life and varying degrees of knowledge. Priya understood why Amelia was doing what she was, but she didn't like it.

Finally, Amelia gave them a break. After three hours of lessons they now had half an hour to do what they pleased. As soon as the words were out of Amelia's mouth Priya hopped up, stretching out her stiff muscles.

Priya watched as her friends slowly rose too. She felt a light tap on her shoulder and turned, expecting one of the Selected, but it was a maid. She held out a note for Priya. The paper had been crumpled and then smoothed out several times and was currently folded into sloppy fourths. She carefully opened it and had to laugh. The handwriting was careless and big, the few sentences taking up nearly the whole paper.

 _Priya,_

 _Your most prestigious advice and incredible knowledge is requested. In other words, I need your help. If you're willing there's some reports I'd love for you to look at, and please say yes. Come up to my room as soon as you can, I need you!_

His signature was so messy that Priya could hardly make it out, only seeing the _B_ in Brandon before the rest was a tangle of swirls.

Giddy at the prospect of leaving lessons early, Priya hardly registered that some of the girls were staring at her. She didn't bother to explain herself to them. As she turned to leave though, Shevonne caught her eye. She raised her eyebrows at her friend and Priya smiled.

"You'd better tell me _every detail_ when you get back," Shevonne called to her.

Priya rolled her blue eyes as she left the room.

She hustled out of the Women's Room and made her way up to the third floor, the guard letting her pass as soon as he saw the note she had. She knew which room was Brandon's though she'd never been there before. But she'd hung out with Natalie enough over the years to know that his room was right across the hall from hers, so that's where she went, knocking firmly on the door.

He answered the door wearing sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt, his dark hair sticking up at all angles and standing out in contrast.

His blue eyes looked over her, from her sleek ponytail with not a hair out of place to her shiny black flats, "Sorry, I forgot you'd be all dressed up or I would have changed. Also, I know this isn't very romantic for a date, but I appreciate you coming."

"It's fine," Priya said as she self-consciously adjusted her one-shoulder royal blue dress, "so what did you need help with?"

Brandon backed up and allowed her to enter the room. Priya had to stifle a gasp. Usually she could keep her organizational tendencies under wraps, but when she laid eyes on Brandon's room she had to physically grab fistfuls of her skirt to stop her hands from rearranging things. The blankets on his bed were twisted in a heap and there were a few articles of clothing thrown around near the closet. The table was laid with the remnants of a meal, a bowl of berries untouched in the middle and a few pieces of toast on the side. His desk was the worst of all, overflowing with unread reports and piles of paper towering up. The whole surface was covered and Priya had no idea how he was planning on working since every available surface was full.

She was pulled back from her examination of the room when Brandon crossed over to the desk and started shuffling through the piles that were on it.

She chuckled, "I hope you don't actually think you're going to find something in all of that."

He looked at her, mock hurt on his face, "I have a system."

She walked over to him and started sorting through some of the papers, "Is it throw everything in the middle and hope it works?"

He smirked, "Maybe."

She rolled her eyes and set to work organizing the papers. Before she could help him read the reports she had to fix at least something in the room. All of the messes were making her fingers twitch.

She got about halfway through a stack and saw her own smiling face. It was her Selection form. In fact, Brandon had all of the forms there, buried on his desk. She looked at her own a minute longer before she saw the one beneath it.

"Why do you still have these?" She demanded, holding out the forms of girls who had been eliminated.

He shrugged, "I don't know, I never thought about it."

With an eye roll she threw them in the trash then continued through the pile, trashing anything she found that was over a year old. Brandon helped her and after a while his desk was much better and he'd found the reports he was looking for in the first place.

He walked over to the sitting area of his chambers and sat on the couch, Priya perching beside him.

"Before we start let me say something," Priya told him, "I'll help you with these reports, but when we're done I want a real date. I want to go horseback riding."

Brandon smiled, "I didn't know you were so into me, Priya. If you wanted a date you didn't have to turn it into a negotiation, you could just ask."

She rolled her eyes at him, "The date part doesn't matter. I haven't been on a horse since I've been here and I miss it, just get me permission to go riding, with or without you."

"Deal," he said, "now, what do you think of this one?" He slid a paper to her and she scanned it, but her mind was already far away, racing through the trees on horseback.

After a few hours of sifting through reports Priya was just about wishing she'd stayed in the Women's Room instead of helping Brandon. They hadn't made much progress and she was stiff from being seated so long.

Brandon threw down the current report he was reading, prompting Priya to bend down and pick it up, straightening the pile she put it on.

"It's time for a break," he declared, oblivious to her organizing, "you ready to race?" he teased.

"Right now?" She asked, glancing out the window, "But it's raining."

He stood up and offered her a hand, "Don't tell me you're scared of a little water. Although if you want to forfeit, I accept. You know I would have beat you anyway, I'm a much better rider."

"Oh whatever, but you're on!" she accepted his hand but used it to pull him back onto the couch, springing up and running to the door, determined to beat him to the stables.

"Cheater!" he called at her.

"Sore loser!" she called back.

"Just wait until we're riding, you're going down."

She smiled, feeling completely happy for the first time in a while, "Bring it on."

 **...**

Ryan stocked through the gardens, letting the rain soak him through completely and for once not caring. It matched his mood perfectly and he let it pound down on him with it's angry rhythm, not even trying to stop it.

He'd known he would have to face her again, he just hadn't thought it would be so soon. The Swendish royals had arrived that morning. They were invited to Natalie's birthday party in two days and they had arrived. Unlike the Italians, the Swendish hadn't wanted to make a big deal out of their arrival. Only Natalie, Ryan, and Serenity had been there to greet them. Another surprise for the siblings had been the lack of people. They'd been expecting the entire royal family, but instead the only people who came were Crown Princess Annika, her husband Lukas Illéa, and her younger brother Christian.

While Lukas was an Illéa and the family's distant cousin, until he had married Annika the Schreaves hadn't ever met him. The Illéas were dethroned in Swendway a few generations ago and the Schreaves hadn't done anything to help them, causing tensions that still existed. The throne had been taken over by a new family but after so many years they were experiencing unrest. Traditionalists were calling for the Illéas to come back, so to appease the people, Annika had married an Illéa and shattered Ryan's heart in the process. Things had gotten better for the royal family, but there were still problems that had to be worked out, which was why the King and Queen had decided to remain at home and send their children as representatives to Illéa on their behalf.

Seeing the smaller group had made Ryan's heart drop, knowing that with less of them there was a bigger chance he'd have to talk with Annika. And Ryan wasn't ready for that. He'd been civil though, which was all he could hope for.

He'd been civil up until the moment Lukas had left with Serenity to go speak with Matthew, Christian had gone off with Natalie (probably to flirt and try to get on her good side), and he found himself alone with Annika.

As soon as they were alone he'd dropped any pretense of friendliness, scowling openly at her while she smiled at him. She'd crossed the room to stand by him, reaching for his hand which he'd snatched away.

She'd pouted at him, faking hurt, "Really Ryan? Aren't we past that by now?" she'd said, "The least you could do is show me to my room."

Ryan had ignored her and left the room, entering the hallway and hearing her footsteps behind him. When it became clear she wasn't going to leave him alone, Ryan had turned toward the doors leading to the garden, knowing she wouldn't follow him there.

He'd glowered at her, "I think you can find the way to your room on your own," before he'd stormed out into the gardens, where he'd been roaming around for the past hour before it started raining.

The rain had cooled everything off, including Ryan's temper and he thought he could handle going inside again. He'd gotten pretty far away from the palace and it was taking him a while to get back, but he'd rather be outside in the pouring rain than inside facing the manipulative girl he'd once loved.

As he walked past the path leading to the rose garden, he heard a loud splash. Curious, he turned down the path and followed it. It was a short path and ended in a circular mosaic that had rose bushes around half of it and a gorgeous fountain in the middle.

Ryan had expected the garden to be empty, but it wasn't. Standing by the fountain, face turned up to the rain, was a girl. A girl with fiery orange hair that was bright despite being dripping wet. As Ryan watched she spun around, throwing her hands above her head then gracefully lifting and stretching one leg out behind her.

"What are you _doing_?" Ryan called to her. She started a bit and her leg came down, landing in a puddle with a splash, "Are you _crazy_? You're going to freeze." Ryan wasn't sure what the girl's name was. He knew she was part of Brandon's Selection, and based on what he'd just seen he thought she was a dancer, but he had no clue what her name was.

She looked at him for a minute before answering, "I'm not going to freeze. The rains back home are much colder than this. But if you're cold, then by all means, you can go inside."

"I'm not cold," he said defensively, then he smiled flirtatiously, "besides, what kind of gentleman would I be if I left you here all alone."

"A good one, because I'm going to be here a while."

"Really?"

"This is the first time it's rained since I've been here, I'm going to enjoy it."

"You _like_ the rain?" he asked skeptically.

"How could you _not_ like the rain?" she exclaimed, "It's breathtaking. Just look at it. Look at the beautiful reflections and how soft it makes everything. Don't you feel like you could just melt right into it?"

"Uh, _no_ ," Ryan said.

She gave him a strange look, "Look harder."

Ryan stared at her. She stared back. With a mental eye roll he raised his head to the sky. A raindrop hit him in the eye.

The girl laughed, "Come here, I'll show you."

Cautiously Ryan walked over to her. She took his hand.

"Dancing in the rain is one of the best things I know. It just calms me down, grounds me. It makes everything else fade away."

"I could use some of that," Ryan said, more to himself than the girl.

"Then just relax," she said, grabbing his other hand and attempting to spin.

"Aren't _I_ supposed to lead?" He said.

"Go ahead," she told him.

He smirked at her, "Can you handle it?"

She smiled, "Try me."

Ryan accepted the challenge, keeping hold of both her hands and using them to start a quick swing dance, not the waltz she'd been expecting. He led her through a series of quick steps before spinning her around then pulling her close and dipping her back. She stood straight again and Ryan led her through more turns at breakneck speed, spinning her faster and faster and watching as her vibrant hair flew out behind her with every turn. She was a really good follower and went at the slightest touch, every move graceful.

Soon she was laughing while she spun, the rain pelting her face and soaking her even further. There was such utter delight on her face that Ryan couldn't help but laugh too as he watched her. Finally he spun her in close and put an arm on either side of her waist. She only had a second to look at him in confusion before she was in the air as he flipped her. She landed on her feet and smiled again, eyes sparkling. Both of them were panting as they stared at each other.

She broke the silence first, "I didn't know you could dance like that."

He smirked at her, "I'm full of surprises."

"Um," she was at a loss for words, her face red, "I should probably get back now. I'm going to have to change before dinner." She gestured at her dripping hair and soaked dress.

"Oh, right," Ryan said, offering her his arm to escort her inside.

She was suddenly shy, taking his arm but not meeting his eyes and trying to avoid looking at him.

They walked back to the palace in silence, the rain lessening to a drizzle as they went. They reached the door and a guard opened it for them so they could enter.

Ryan turned to her when they were dripping in the hallway. Neither of them was sure what to say.

Finally, Ryan said, "So I guess I'll see you around then."

"Yeah," she nodded before turning the other way, "see you."

She'd take a few steps away when Ryan called out to her, " _Wait_!" She turned to him expectantly, raising an eyebrow, "I just realized, I don't know your name," he said sheepishly.

Rather than being upset like he'd thought, she simply seemed surprised, but she smiled anyway before saying, "Juliet. My name is Juliet."

 **...**

 **Fan favorite date will be next chapter, so this is your last chance to vote. Even if you don't have a character, go vote and let me know what you think.**

 **Don't forget to be awesome and leave me a review, you guys rock!**

 **~Jen**


	28. Make A Wish

**Hey guys! So this chapter is the last fan favorite date (for now). Since there was such a tie two girls are getting dates. Part of Sera's date is also a special request from wolfofstark for the amazing covers she made me on Pinterest- if you haven't seen those yet then check them out!**

 **These are all some of the greatest people in the world- because they review! Thanks to** Cookiedoodles168, Guest, XOStarbrightXO, wolfofstark, Demigod18, morethanjustastory, **and my new reviewer** Ashley Jackson **.**

 **...**

Kadence picked at her dinner, taking small bites of the steak and green beans that were on her plate. She wasn't hungry but she needed something to do to keep her hands busy.

She hadn't been able to focus all day, still reeling from the news her father had given her. And from speaking to her mother- her _mother_!- last night. The only thing that could even begin to dampen Kadence's happiness was Aria, her twin.

She glanced down the table to where Aria was chatting with Mona and Vanessa.

 _Does she know?_ Kadence wondered _Should I tell her?_

After everything that had happened between the two, Kadence wasn't sure how Aria would react. Although Kadence was never sure how her sister would react, Aria was kind of unpredictable. Kadence wasn't even sure if she wanted to tell Aria. After how Aria had treated her, Kadence wasn't sure she wanted to be around Aria anymore. But she _had_ to tell her- she was her sister, whatever happened they would get through it, because that's what families did.

The minute dinner was over Kadence went over to Aria, who was making her way upstairs.

"Hey," she said, pulling her sister aside, "can we talk for a minute?"

Aria allowed Kadence to pull her over to a bench, "If you want to."

"So," Kadence started, very unsure of herself, "um, I talked with my dad last night and he told me some. . . _interesting_ things."

Aria raised an eyebrow, not impressed, "Okay. . ."

"Some of them were about you," Kadence told her, "and your mom. Did she tell you anything?"

"You don't have to beat around the bush, I know we're twins."

"You do?" Kadence asked, her mouth falling open.

Aria laughed at Kadence's expression, "Yes, I just didn't make a big deal out of it because it doesn't matter."

"What? It _doesn't matter_?"

"No," Aria said, "it's not like it changes anything."

"It changes everything!" Kadence exclaimed.

"No, it doesn't," Aria told her, "when I leave here, I'm going back to Waverly, and you'll go to Fennley, it's not like we're going to keep in touch or anything."

"But we're sisters- _twins_ \- doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"It means that we shared a living space for nine months before our parents decided we shouldn't ever see each other again. That's it."

"You don't mean that," Kadence said, the hurt evident in her voice, "I know you don't."

"Well I do. I don't need another person who wants to use me. Another person who says they care about me and then turns around and abandons me when I need them most. I've had enough of that for a lifetime and I don't need one more person to lie to me."

"That's the thing about sisters," Kadence said, "they're there for each other, no matter what. You don't have to earn their love, it's just a given, because you're sisters. I would _never_ abandon you, Aria. Whether you like it or not you're stuck with me."

Aria smiled sadly, "I wish that were true, but just wait, pretty soon you'll grow tired of me, just like everyone else. I know I'm not easy to get along with and you'll get sick of me eventually."

"No, Aria, I won't. I'll be there for you, whatever you need, and maybe someday you could be there for me too."

Aria gave Kadence a tight lipped smile but didn't respond. She stood from the bench and looked down at her sister, "It's nice of you to say all that stuff, but how about instead of making promises you don't know if you can keep, we start by getting to know each other. Maybe we can hang out sometime. I mean, I honestly know nothing about you."

"Yeah, that would be nice," Kadence said.

"Alright then," Aria said, she turned without another word and began making her way to the staircase. Kadence watched her go so she also saw the guy standing on the stairs with a camera pointed at the bench where she was seated.

Aria saw him at the same time. Whereas Kadence was curious, Aria was outraged, "Were you _spying_ on us?" she demanded, quickening her pace, "That was private! You can't record our conversation!"

"Then maybe you shouldn't be having it in the middle of the hallway where anyone can hear," the guy called back, slowly climbing the stairs as Aria advanced on him.

"You little snoop!" she screeched, then started running outright, catching up to him and grabbing his arm, trying to wrestle the camera away, "Logan Wesley you give me that tape!"

He tried to avoid her assault but Aria was persistent, doing her best to get the camera.

"You're going to break it," he yelled.

"Then just give it to me," Aria countered.

Kadence watched as Aria succeeded in grabbing the camera, then attempted to extract the film from it. She about dropped the thing several times before Logan rolled his eyes and grabbed it back, showing her something on the screen and pressing buttons until Aria looked satisfied. Then she said something to him that Kadence couldn't hear and turned down the hallway that led to her room. Logan adjusted his camera again before turning and going in the opposite direction.

Kadence stayed on the bench, replaying her conversation with her sister over in her head. It hadn't gone exactly as she'd hoped, but Aria hadn't shot her down either. Kadence smiled, feeling the most hopeful she had since she'd gotten to the palace. For the first time she might have a family, she might have something to look forward to if she was sent home.

 **...**

Seraphina burst into her room, startling all three of her maids, but she was too excited to care.

"I have a date!" She squealed.

All of her maids jumped up, two of them squealing with her, but her head maid, the most practical one, just asked, "When?"

"In ten minutes," Sera said, suddenly nervous, "he asked me after dinner, we're going stargazing."

"We don't have much time."

All of her maids jumped into action, scurrying around and trying to get her ready.

Five minutes later and Seraphina was alone in her room, waiting for Brandon. Her maids had left as soon as they deemed her presentable. She hadn't needed much work, she'd already been dressed from dinner and they'd all agreed she didn't need to change. The plum colored dress was floor length had sleeves that went to her wrist (so if they were outside she wouldn't freeze) but it was by no means modest with a thigh high slit on one side. Her maids had repinned a few loose strands from her braided updo and touched up her makeup, giving her fresh coat of red lipstick before spritzing her with her signature scent, _Lily of the Valley_ , and leaving.

Sera waited with bated breath for the knock on her door, and when it came she jumped up without hesitation. Beaming, she opened the door to reveal Brandon. He was still dressed in his suit from dinner which made Sera feel better about her own wardrobe choice.

He offered Sera his arm and she took it. When they got to the landing instead of going downstairs and outside like Sera had thought, Brandon turned and led her upstairs. They passed the third floor and it was only when Brandon stopped outside a closed door that Seraphina asked him, "Where are we?"

Brandon opened the door with a smile, "This is the observatory."

Seraphina gasped as she stepped into the cozy wooden room. She knew instantly that this would be her favorite place in the palace. It was one of the smallest rooms Sera had seen so far, but it was quite homey and she felt comfortable in it. There were a few different couches around the room, the biggest telescope Sera had ever seen pointing out the window, and in the middle of the room the floor was clear except for a pile of comfy looking pillows and blankets.

"Wow," Sera breathed, looking up at the clear glass ceiling and to the stars beyond, "it's _amazing_."

"You like it?" Brandon asked, grabbing a plaid blanket from the pile and spreading it out on the ground for them.

"I love it," she replied, going over and joining him.

"Good," he smiled at her and she smiled back, then he grabbed two pillows and tossed one to her before laying down on the blanket and looking up.

Seraphina caught the pillow and momentarily mourned not being able to curl up on his chest before she sat down on the blanket too. She placed the pillow beneath her head and leaned back, sitting close enough to Brandon that they could easily converse, but not nearly as close as she wanted to be.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, each entranced by the glittering galaxy above them. Being so far away from the city made everything seem brighter than Sera had ever seen it. The stars shimmered like scattered moondust in the sky and Sera couldn't help but realize just how insignificant she was. She was just a Seven from Likely, nobody of consequence, yet she had the chance to become a princess, to make an impact on millions of lives. It was a bit overwhelming when she actually thought about it.

With a sigh Seraphina readjusted her position on the blanket.

At her sigh, Brandon turned on his side to look at her.

"Are you okay?" He asked, nervously reaching out to her.

She nodded.

"I'm sorry if you don't like this idea. Brook suggested it. This is where her and Leo come a lot, and she thought it would be good for a date and I thought you'd be the perfect girl to bring here, but you hate it don't you?"

Sera gave him her brightest smile and watched him blush in response, "I think it's amazing. I love the stars."

"Really?" he asked, ears still red, "You're not just saying that?"

Sera reached out and took his hand, her heart thudding, "Really. I know almost all of the constellations."

"That makes one of us. I was never that interested in astronomy," he admitted sheepishly.

"I wasn't for a while, but one of my first clients was an astronaut. He taught me a bit of astronomy and ever since I've been fascinated by it."

"Clients?" Brandon asked, confused.

Then it was Seraphina's turn to blush, her cheeks scarlet, "I was a, you know, an escort," she reminded him, a hint of shame in her voice, "I had lots of different clients that I 'dated' and. . . did things with." She lowered her head at the admission.

"Wait," Brandon said, sitting up and meeting her blue eyes, his own filled with concern, "you never. . . _you know_?" he asked.

Her blush deepened, "No. I never did _that_ , but I know lots of other girls who did. It's sick really, what some girls have to do to survive. They give up everything, including themselves, but I never did that. I'd rather lose my job than myself, which is what I did, but if the Selection hadn't come along I don't know how I would have been able to survive without that job."

"You mean you were fired because you _wouldn't_ break the law?" Brandon asked incredulously, "That's wrong. Those girls should be rewarded not punished. I guess they were better off without that job anyway."

"They probably weren't," Seraphina said sadly, "An escort is one of the best paying jobs for a Seven. They're quite picky about who they choose so the money is better. That's why so many girls do it. They're desperate, it's the only way to make enough money to stay off the streets and afford food. Most girls don't like it, but it's better than the alternative." She turned to Brandon with grateful eyes, "I probably would have ended up like that too if I hadn't been Selected. I would have come back to them eventually and given up myself to save my family. I'm _so_ glad I didn't have to do that."

Brandon used the hand she was still holding to pull her closer, so that they were chest to chest, "That's not going to happen anymore," he promised her with sincerity in his eyes, "there's no way my father knows about that, or Matthew. I'll make sure they know and we'll change that. No other girl will ever have to go through what you did."

No words could express what Sera felt when he said that. She did the only thing she could think of and launched herself into his arms, needing to feel the reassurance that he was there and this was actually happening.

"Thank you!" Sera exclaimed, "I never thought there would be a way to help girls like me, and you've made that possible."

"I haven't done anything yet, but I will do my best to get something done."

Sera's smile was luminescent as she let go of him and looked back up at the stars. Brandon's eyes were still on her so he didn't see the star streaking across the sky until Sera pointed it out to him.

"Make a wish," he told her.

She smiled, uncertain at first; but as she leaned back against the sweet boy behind her, she knew exactly what to wish for.

 **...**

Zinnia smiled as she looked down at her fingers, entwined with Prince Brandon's for the second time that afternoon.

The whole week she'd been waiting for Brandon to ask her out, and it seemed like he wasn't going to. She was one of the last girls to get a date, the only ones who had yet to have one were Kadence, Taylor, and Blaise. Despite her earlier feelings of neglect, the minute Brandon asked her she was jumping for joy, ready for whatever he had planned. They'd had a nice afternoon picking strawberries together and then Zinnia had wanted to bake something with their fresh fruit. Brandon had been adamantly opposed to the idea but somehow Zinnia had managed to convince him and they were on their way to the kitchens.

The whole way Zinnia bounced excitedly and kept up constant chatter, making Brandon smile and pull her back when she'd get too far ahead. Her excitement was contagious and by the time they reached the kitchen Brandon couldn't keep the smile off his face, despite not wanting to go in the first place.

Brandon opened the door and Zinnia stopped short. This was _nothing_ like the kitchen she'd been expecting. She'd seen huge kitchens in her time as a maid, but this put all of those to shame. Everywhere she looked people were rushing around, intent on their tasks. The smells were amazing, all of the different foods being cooked mixed together and Zinnia inhaled deeply. The kitchen was massive, filled with an assortment of appliances and a whole wall devoted to ovens. The dazzling light that reflected off of every steel surface made Zinnia want to shade her eyes.

She was only pulled from her inspection when Brandon stopped and said, "Natalie?"

Zinnia followed his gaze to where the princess was, sitting off to the side at a counter, looking guilty that she'd been caught.

"What are you doing?" her brother asked, but before she could respond he posed another question, "Is this where you've been hiding from your suitors? Nat! I can't believe you."

Her face was pale but there was a determined fire in her eyes when she answered, "So what if it is? You are _not_ in charge of me, Brandon. If I want to spend my time down here then I will. I'd much rather be with these hardworking people than the spoiled jerks I have to deal with upstairs."

Before Brandon could respond a guy with tan skin, dirty blonde hair, and warm brown eyes called out, "Nat! I got them. Now we can-" he cut off as he caught sight of the royals and Zinnia, then he bowed hastily, "Your Highnesses, I apologize, I didn't see you there." He turned to a slim brunette who was hustling by, "Nat, here are the lemons you needed," he pressed the bright fruit into her hands, and while her brow was furrowed she accepted the fruit.

"Um, thanks Bennett," her expression showed her confusion, "why do I need these again? And my name isn't-"

"Nat!" Bennett interrupted, "Let's get going, we need to get those lemon bars done so that they'll be ready for dessert tonight."

"Um, okay," she said, still confused, but she allowed Bennett to turn her around and lead her away. She glanced behind her with a wondering look but when she saw Brandon comprehension dawned in her eyes.

As soon as the servants were gone Brandon whirled on his sister, "I know you don't like them, Natalie, but you have to at least try," he glanced at Zinnia out of the corner of his eye, "we all have to do things we don't always want to, but we do them anyway. You know that."

She slammed her hands down and threw herself backwards, causing the stool she was sitting on to topple over, but the noise was lost in the chaos of the kitchen.

"Of course I know that! Maybe I just wanted to be in a place where nobody would nag me every five minutes." She turned angrily and tried to march away.

"Wait!" Brandon called, "I'm just worried about you."

She told him in words not appropriate for a princess just wear he could shove his worry before she stormed off without looking back.

Zinnia looked awkwardly at Brandon, not sure what to say. Finally she said, "Do you want to leave?"

Brandon looked at her blankly, as if he'd forgotten she was there, "No, it's okay. What did you want to make?"

Slowly Zinnia bounced back to her normal self as she (with help form the staff) got out the ingredients and prepared to bake. She'd baked all throughout her childhood and it was something calming and familiar to her. There was really no downside to it. If you just followed the recipe you it was almost impossible to mess up and you would get an amazing dessert at the end. At least Zinnia had thought recipes were impossible to mess up, until she baked with Brandon.

It seemed every time she turned her back he'd managed to mess something else up. When he tried to melt the butter he nearly caught the pan on fire, he butchered the eggs, and when Zinnia put him in charge of the mixer flour had exploded, dusting everything (including Brandon) in a layer of fine white powder.

Zinnia had burst out laughing at the sight of him and by the time he was cleaned up she'd had the strawberry cake in the oven and the cream cheese frosting ready.

They'd talked while they waited for the cake to cool and Zinnia had even let Brandon help frost, although she made sure to stand far away when he had the icing.

It wasn't the prettiest cake and the frosting was a bit thin so it was running everywhere while Zinnia struggled not to make a mess all over her nice outfit but the strawberries were the best she had ever tasted.

"This is really good," Brandon finally said.

Zinnia nodded in agreement as she cleaned her fork, "We make a pretty good team."

Brandon snorted, "Hardly. I'm pretty sure you did all of that."

"You. . ." she struggled to think of something nice to say but gave up in a burst of laughter, "at least you tried."

He laughed with her, "I think this is my first and last attempt at making anything in the kitchen."

"That might be a good thing," Zinnia teased, "we still have to clean up the mess from your mixing disaster."

Brandon furrowed his brow, "What? We don't need to do that. I can get someone to clean it up, don't worry about it."

Zinnia wasn't convinced, "But we made the mess, we should be the ones to clean it up." Being a former maid Zinnia was quite insistent on this. She'd spent her life cleaning up after others and she hated the thought of someone having to do that for her.

"If you really want to we can do it."

"Thanks," Zinnia smiled.

"Of course," Brandon said, then added, "You have frosting on your face."

"Oh gosh," she said, her cheeks turning red as she tried to rub her face, missing the frosting completely.

"Here," Brandon said reaching out, "let me."

He gently wiped the frosting from her face and then left his hand there, cupping her soft cheek.

Zinnia's brown eyes softened as she looked up at him. She met his blue eyes just as he leaned down. She hardly had time to realize what he was going to do before his lips met hers.

It was a soft kiss, full of hope and promise. Zinnia's eyes closed and she melted into him. He tasted like strawberries and icing.

It was a whisper of a kiss and all too soon it was over. But as Zinnia looked up and met his eyes she knew that no kiss could ever be better.

 **...**

 **I hope you guys liked that chapter and definitely let me know what you think. Now I have a question for you guys- do you want to see the Report where the girls are interviewed? It would probably be just the mains getting interviewed if I go into that much detail, otherwise it'll just get skimmed over to get to the ball (which is what everyone really wants to see). Let me know your thoughts and opinions, next chapter will be the last dates before the ball. I'm super excited, are you?**

 **Let me know what you guys want to see coming up in the next few chapters and thanks for all of your support!**

 **~Jen**


	29. Just A Sprinkling

**Hi guys! Hope you're all having an awesome summer! July is halfway over, can you believe it? So I've been updating pretty quickly the past few weeks but that's probably not going to last much longer because things are starting to pick up in my life. But if you guys are looking for another story to read, check out Scarlett Brinnley Brookson's story. It's an awesome SYOC and she has lots of spots open so definitely check it out and submit a girl if you can.**

 **You are all seriously too amazing for words! I have more than 250 reviews and that's all thanks to you guys who take time to talk with me and let me know your thoughts. I have no clue how to thank you guys, especially** Ashley Jackson (x2), blank, morethanjustastory, XOStarbrightXO, Demigod18, Scarlett Brinnley Brookson (x2), wolfofstark, and Cookiedoodles168 **! You all inspire me so much you have no idea, hope you like this chapter!**

 **...**

Kadence wasn't sure how she felt about being the second to last girl to get a date. The only other girl who had yet to have one was Taylor. And if Kadence and Taylor were on the same level then Kadence would rather just go home.

She hadn't entered the Selection for love but it would have been nice not to be the last girl picked for a date. Kadence wasn't sure if she even _wanted_ to go for a picnic in the gardens, but she knew there was no way she could tell Brandon no. Even when he said there would be cameras, there to capture every moment of their date.

She looked herself over in the mirror while she waited for Brandon to come pick her up. The dress she was wearing was one of her favorites. It was blush pink with a skirt that poofed down to her knees. The straps were sheer with a lace neckline and shimmering pearls interspaced throughout. A section of her brown hair was braided by her ear leading around her head where it joined the rest of her hair in a sleek ponytail that fell over her left shoulder. She smiled nervously at her reflection, not ready for the knock that sounded on her door.

At least Brandon looked almost as nervous as she felt, which made her feel a bit better about the whole thing.

"You look lovely," he told her, reaching for her hand to brush a kiss across it.

"Um, thanks," she responded, reaching up to adjust her ponytail, unaware of Brandon's intentions.

With one more glance he offered her his arm, which she timidly took.

As they made their way down to the first floor Brandon asked her, "Have you seen the gardens yet?"

"Just from the windows, I haven't had time to go out there yet, but they look gorgeous."

"They are," he nodded, "the gardens are one of Serenity's favorite places. She and Matthew had most of their dates out there and they still love to come out together and watch the sunsets, when they have time."

Kadence and Brandon reached the French doors that opened out onto a walkway leading into the sprawling gardens. Just outside the doors Kadence spotted a few people equipped with cameras, all pointed their way and waiting for them.

The minute they stepped outside Kadence felt the intense heat and humidity of the September afternoon. She felt pinpricks of sweat bead on her neck and palms and she wasn't sure if they were because of the heat or the cameras watching her. She was aware of the magnificent beauty that surrounded her but she couldn't focus on it because every nerve in her body was concentrated on the spot where her hand rested on Brandon's arm and their shoulders pressed together. She scooted nearer, wishing she was invisible.

Brandon looked down at her sympathetically, "Just pretend they're not here," he whispered.

She nodded and they continued their path through the flowers, slowly meandering until they came to a small clearing. A wicker table with chairs was set up in the middle of a lawn with a pretty umbrella sprouting from the table to give them some shade. The forest loomed in front of them with riding paths for horses all around and the perfect gardens behind them. In the distance Kadence could faintly make out the tall wall that surrounded the palace. Brandon pulled out a chair for her and she sat down.

The men with the cameras stopped a ways away, still in the flowers, but Kadence was sure they could see and hear everything.

The fact that they were being watched, coupled with Kadence's own shy nature, made her retreat into herself. She smiled at Brandon, enjoying his presence, but didn't say anything. He smiled back at her, unsure what to say to her either.

"It's a nice day," he finally said, "though a bit warm."

Kadence chuckled, "Hardly. Fennley is much hotter, it's like being cooked, even during the winter. This is a wonderful temperature."

Brandon smiled but didn't say anything else. A maid scurried over and poured them each a glass of peach iced tea. In the silence, Kadence took a small sip.

"So anything interesting happen lately?" She asked him.

Brandon smiled, "In case you haven't heard my sister is now eighteen and she's having a huge party tomorrow."

"You know, I think someone mentioned that."

He laughed and Kadence joined him. There was something about being with him that made her feel safe and secure, and she loved it.

"What about you?" He asked, "Do you have any siblings?"

For one second her mind flashed to Aria. But that was ridiculous. They were the _farthest_ thing from sisters. Aria couldn't stand her. Besides, she was all too aware of the cameras watching, and Kadence had seen the magazine articles and the theories about her and Aria. She knew if she told Brandon and the cameras found out she wouldn't have a moment of peace while she was at the palace. And she wasn't ready for that. Maybe someday, but not now. Now, all she wanted to focus on was the prince in front of her and the way he made a flock of butterflies appear in her stomach anytime he was close.

"No," she answered, "it's always been just me and my dad. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to grow up with so many siblings."

"There was never a dull moment," he agreed.

Kadence giggled and reached for one of the mini sandwiches that were on a platter but before she could get one a buzzing bee that had been circling the table for a while landed on her outstretched wrist.

Kadence froze. The bee began to slowly climb up her arm and Kadence couldn't take her eyes off of it.

Brandon didn't see the bee but he saw the fear in her eyes.

"What is it?" he asked, looking around for a threat, "Are you okay?" He followed her gaze to the bee that was still climbing her and chuckled, "Kadence, it's alright, it's just a bee. Shake it off."

Timidly she shook her wrist but the bee didn't move.

"Like this," Brandon said, grabbing her hand and roughly shaking it and swatting at the bee.

The bee fell off of her arm and onto her leg, where it promptly crawled beneath her skirt.

Jumping up from her seat Kadence started to shriek, "Get it _off_! Get it _off_!"

"Calm down," Brandon ordered, "relax. You're going to make it worse."

Kadence couldn't calm down, especially not when she felt the bee stuck in her skirt. She jumped again, trying to dislodge it, but then she felt a sharp pain in her thigh and she screamed, " _Ouch_! Ow! It _stung_ me!"

Her thigh burned but before she could focus on that all of the sprinklers by their table shot out of the ground and began spraying. Kadence shrieked as the cold water hit her, making her dress stick to her legs. The table was instantly soaked, all of the food ruined, and Brandon jumped up as well.

"What the _heck_? How did this happen? The sprinklers are supposed to go off at night!" His suit was soaked and some of the higher sprinklers shot jets that soaked his dark hair.

Kadence felt her own hair dampen into tangles and looked down at her sopping, practically see-through dress.

She turned to Brandon, wanting to apologize for the terrible date, but her attention was caught by the camera crew, who were filming everything. All of her sympathy dried up. _He set me up_ , she thought, _He_ knew _the sprinklers were going to come on and he'd made sure the cameras could see it_. He wanted to humiliate her in front of all of Illéa, well she wouldn't stand for it.

"Are you okay?" He asked, smiling as she turned to him.

"You think this is _funny_?" she demanded, "Did you do this on purpose? To humiliate me? Make me want to leave? If you don't like me then just eliminate me, you don't have to go through all this."

Brandon's face fell and he struggled to compose his thoughts, "You think- but I didn't. I would _never_ -"

Kadence didn't want his excuses. She turned away, ready to go back to the palace.

"Wait," he called, trying to catch her, "Aria, slow down."

She whirled on him so fast he nearly fell trying not to run into her.

" _Aria_?!" she screamed, hurt and outrage filling her voice, "I'm not Aria! I'm not her and I never will be so everyone can just stop comparing me to her." Her voice broke at the end but she refused to cry in front of Brandon and the cameras. Instead she let her anger fuel her as she stomped away from the garden.

"I'm sorry, it just slipped out. I meant Kadence. I really did- Kadence, wait!" He called, but she didn't slow.

She disappeared around a bend and Brandon knew better than to go after her.

With a sigh, Brandon turned to the camera crew and motioned for them to stop filming. His gaze met Logan's, the only palace approved cameraman there.

"I really messed up, didn't I?" he said more to himself than Logan.

But his friend nodded anyway, "Yeah, you did," he said before lowering his camera and following Kadence back to the palace.

Brandon knew he was right, and he knew that he had to do something to make it up.

 **...**

Aria was in her room, taking a break from all the gossip and competition that usually surrounded her in the Women's Room. Her designs had been lacking lately because of all her time spent during the Selection. She'd helped her maids design her dress for Natalie's party the next night and had done half of her on for the Report, but she was determined that for the next big event the palace hosted she would be wearing one of her original designs.

She was curled up on the window seat in her room, overlooking the front drive of the palace where a marvelous fountain stood. A half-drunk cup of tea was next to her, abandoned as she'd lost herself in the drawings. Her pencil flew across the paper, translating her thoughts into the sketchbook. It was one of her most detailed dresses yet. A silver a-line with a modest v-neck and flowing skirt. It was filled with embroidery and embellishments that Aria knew would take forever to add on, but it was _gorgeous_. She was caught up in drawing a series of sparkling flower embellishments when she heard a door slam. The sound was so unexpected in the nearly soundproofed palace that she jumped, sending a line streaking across her page.

Aria thought about getting up to investigate the sound but she was in her designing zone and didn't want to get up. With a sigh she attempted to erase the stray line from her dress without erasing any of the details she'd so painstakingly drawn in. She could tell that the line would never fully go away but it was getting better. She was just getting back into her design when her door flew open without a knock.

She was too surprised to be indignant, but when she saw who was at the door she was annoyed at the interruption.

"What?" she said, still focused on her drawing.

"It's Kadence," Logan told her, "she's pretty upset. You should go talk to her."

Even though Aria wasn't even sure if she liked Kadence, they _were_ sisters, and every protective instinct in her body was on alert. She flew over to Logan and demanded, "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing. She was on a date and. . . you should hear it from her, she's in her room."

Without another word Aria sprinted across the hall. But when she got to he door she was suddenly nervous. She was probably the last person Kadence wanted to see. But when Aria heard a muffled sob from the other side of the door she knocked quietly.

The crying quit and Aria knocked again. When Kadence didn't answer Aria cracked the door. She saw her sister curled into a ball on her bed soaking wet and fully clothed.

"Kadence?" she asked.

Kadence lifted her head and glared at Aria, "Go away."

Aria stepped into the room and shut the door behind her.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently.

"I said _go away_ ," Kadence told her, reaching behind her and grabbing the nearest thing she could find to hurl at Aria.

The pillow bounced harmlessly off of Aria's shoulder and Kadence just grew more enraged.

"Just leave me _alone_!" she cried, throwing another pillow. That one hit Aria in the stomach. Maybe they were more alike than Aria had ever realized, "I don't need you to come over here and flaunt how perfect everything is for you. I feel bad enough."

She tossed another pillow and this one missed by a foot. That didn't deter her though and she had a whole bed full. She threw pillow after pillow and Aria took it all.

"At least _try_ to dodge them," Kadence yelled, tears streaming down her face, "why are you letting them hit you?"

Aria smiled sadly, "Because I deserve it."

Kadence had exhausted herself and she fell back on the bed with a wail.

Aria cautiously approached her, "What happened?"

Slowly the story spilled out of Kadence, accompanied by her tears. When she told Aria about the bee Aria rolled up her dress and saw the welt. With deft fingers she pulled out the stinger, grateful it hadn't been in her longer. The skin was red and enflamed. Aria went into the bathroom and dug through the medicine cabinet but couldn't find anything useful. What Kadence really needed was some ice.

Aria listened to the rest of the story without interrupting. When Kadence finished Aria stood up and held out a hand, "Come on."

"What?" Kadence asked.

"Let's get you cleaned up," Aria told her.

While Kadence changed into a dry dress, Aria got a warm washcloth to wash off the ruined makeup. Kadence brushed the tangles out of her hair while Aria gently cleaned her face.

Kadence reached for the foundation but Aria stopped her, "Don't. You're just going to have to wash it off again before the Report."

Kadence nodded. She was much calmer now but Aria could tell she was still upset.

"I have an idea," Aria said, grabbing Kadence's hand, "let's go."

"Where?" Kadence asked, hesitant.

"It's a surprise."

"I don't want to go looking like _this_ ," Kadence said, knowing it was shallow but not caring at the moment. She'd had enough of looking bad for the day.

"No one's going to see you," Aria argued.

"I don't care," Kadence said.

"Fine," Aria said, growing impatient, "what if I take off my makeup too?"

Kadence thought about it for a minute before nodding.

Aria quickly swiped off her own makeup, hardly recognizing herself without her red lipstick and dramatic eye makeup.

When Kadence came up behind her in the mirror, Aria knew they had never looked more similar. Even she was having a hard time telling them apart.

Before Kadence could say anything, and Aria knew she wanted to, Aria turned to her and said, "Can we go now?"

"Okay."

Aria led her out to the hallway and was surprised when they were the only ones there, but she shook that off and started leading Kadence down the stairs.

At the landing Kadence stopped, "Aria, where are we going?"

Aria looked at her twin as if the answer were obvious, "You're upset and need to get over a guy."

"So?"

"So there's only one cure that can get you through that."

"And what is that?" Kadence asked.

Aria smiled knowingly, "Ice cream. We're going to get ice cream."

 **...**

 **Not my longest chapter, but still pretty good. I'd love to hear what you guys think about Kadence and Aria now as well as Kadence and Brandon.**

 **The Report will be next chapter and will probably only feature the Main girls. For those of you on the Pinterest feel free to start pinning for your girls!**

 **Thanks for everything, love you all!**

 **~Jen**


	30. Reporting Live

**Alright guys, this is it: The Report Interviews! You asked for it so this chapter is for all of you! It features eight of the main girls and has several others as well.**

 **Thanks so so much to all of my lovely reviewers:** LeaGirlWriter22 **for reviewing 6 times! Thanks Lea!** Ashley Jackson, XOStarbrightXO, morethanjustastory, Demigod18, Scarlett Brinnley Brookson, and Cookoedoodles168!

 **...**

Tristyn stood in the hallway, ready to head down to the Report set but not wanting to go by herself. She knew Priya would go with her if she asked but she'd promised to wait for Anya and Miami before leaving. But they were taking _forever_ and she didn't want to be the last girl there and have to sit in the back. She'd already watched Elody, looking striking in an emerald green dress, go down with Azura, who also looked pretty in a one shouldered ombré gown.

Just as Tris was about to head down by herself, Miami's door opened and she stepped out, arm in arm with Anya.

Anya was pale and Tris saw her own nerves mirrored on the other girl's face. If Tris was this nervous she couldn't even imagine how it must be for Anya, who had never had the spotlight on her for a day until the Selection.

"Come on," Miami said, linking her other arm with Tris. Miami looked bubblier than usual in a pale pink strapless dress tied with a big bow at the waist. Tristyn's own dress- a floor length strapless white gown with black lace detailing- made her feel somber in comparison.

"Okay," Tristyn said, letting her friend lead her across the hall and down several flights of stairs until they reached the room where the Report was filmed.

Most of the girls were already there and Tristyn glanced through the sea of colorful fabrics looking for an empty seat. She spotted some a few rows back and led Miami over to them so they could sit down. Glancing at the girls around her, Tris could tell that most girls were as nervous as she was, but a few didn't show their nerves. Vanessa, Elody, Priya, and Flara all seemed sure of themselves and for London, Taylor, Ember, and Shevonne this was just another day.

Brandon was there, looking handsome in his suit as he made his way from girl to girl, giving them encouraging words before they went onstage. When he got to Kadence however, she turned away, wanting nothing to do with him. Tris was too far away to hear what he said but finally Kadenve turned back to him. They exchanged heated words for a minute before Brandon reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a white flower that matched the ones on her dress. A peace offering. Finally Kadence smiled at him, her brown eyes shining as she nodded at whatever he'd said. Brandon placed a kiss on her hand and turned away, a new spring in his step as he went back to his seat.

Tris puzzled over the interaction for a minute before Blaise, in a backless, flowing black dress, and Colleen arrived on set, just seconds before the cameras started filming.

King James approached the podium, regal as ever, and began to describe the measures that were being taken to help hurricane victims in Clermont. Tris noticed that Ember looked a bit pale at the mention of her home province.

The announcements were shorter that night, everyone wanting to get to the Selected's interviews. They hardly even talked about the Princess's ball the following night, but Tristyn knew it would be on all of the gossip shows. When the first half of the show was done, David was called up.

"Good evening Illéa!" David Fadaye exclaimed as he waltzed into the stage, "It's been two weeks since the lovely daughters of Illéa got to the palace and not everyone has been as lucky as Prince Brandon and gotten to know them. We thought that tonight we'd sit down and get to know who they really are. Now without waiting any longer let's start with Miss Aurora Bennett."

Aurora's interview was short and sweet, filled with smiles and compliments from her. Tristyn watched as several more girls went up to be interviewed, everyone doing well. She was so absorbed in listening that it took Miami elbowing her to realize that she'd been called.

With shaking hands she made her way to the chair across from David.

"How are you tonight, Lady Tristyn?" he asked her.

"I'm doing pretty well, David," she lied.

"That's great. Why don't you tell all of us about your date with the prince."

"Well," she said, thinking back to the blaring sirens that had interrupted their movie, not sure if she should talk about the attack or not, "we went to the movies which was pretty fun. We saw the latest super hero movie before it even went to theaters."

"And did you like it?"

Tris smiled, "Yep, I would definitely recommend it."

"And what are your thoughts on the Selection so far?"

"It's different than you would think," she admitted, "a lot more work than people realize. To be Selected is to never get to rest, even though there is a perfectly amazing bed just lying in the center of the room. Nope, we get late nights and early mornings."

David chuckled politely, "I think that sums it up pretty well, thank you Lady Tristyn."

With a small wave Tristyn made her way back to her seat, exhaling in relief.

 **...**

Callista was next, her enthusiasm contagious until the audience was smiling and laughing with her. Yorra wasn't as enthusiastic but she still made a lasting impression. Anya was a bit shy but she looked lovely nonetheless.

Cosmina didn't want to follow Sage, who had left everyone bent over laughing with her cheeky, sarcastic comments, but when her name was called she had no choice. She made her way to the stage, trying not to trip on the thigh high slit her maids had put in her dress. The blue material of her dress paired with her dark hair and pale skin made her stand out from the others and she was glad for that when she got to the stage.

"Lady Cosmina, you look lovely," David greeted her.

"Thank you, David."

"So you're one of three foreigners in the competition. Tell us what that's like."

"It's very different. In Romania, where I'm from, we don't have anything like the Selection so getting to be a part of it is something truly special. The countries and cultures are both so different that it's hard to compare them but I know both places have a special spot in my heart," she said with sincerity, thinking about the rolling green hills of her home country, "I've also made some amazing friends here and I wouldn't give them up for anything."

"Very true," David said, "you're also one of the top fencers in the country and have won numerous competitions, correct?"

"Yes," Cosmina told him, "fencing is one of my passions and I love it, even though I haven't been able to practice much at the palace. They don't have a fencing arena here, but we're working on it," she added with a smirk toward Brandon who smiled in response.

David followed her gaze and saw her looking at Brandon.

"And would you mind telling us what you think of our young prince?"

Cosmina paused. It was still weird to her to think that she was _dating_ Brandon. She was dating a prince. Every time she heard the word boyfriend Gabriel came to mind not Brandon. Gabriel and the fatal night back in Romania. Gabriel who had made her feel like the most important girl in the world everyday. Gabriel who had been killed when he was only fifteen.

Thinking about Gabriel always made her break down, and she couldn't afford to do that on live television. Just as her mind blanked and she was about to stutter, she caught sight of Brandon on the other side of the stage. He gave her a reassuring smile and an encouraging nod. He believed in her. She could do this.

"Prince Brandon, is not what people think. He is diplomatic and polite, like a prince should be, but he's also _so_ kind and generous. He always tries to make everyone feel better and fix all of your problems, even if that's not possible. He's one of the best people I know," looking over Cosmina saw his ears redden at her praise, but she had meant every word. She shot him a smile and felt her stomach flip when he returned it.

"Thank you, Lady Cosmina. Next up we have Lady Monica Hamilton."

 **...**

Seraphina felt a rush of excitement when her name was called. After watching Miami and Ember have their interviews she'd seen enough girls to be confident about some of the questions and what she should say.

Her figure-hugging sequined turquoise dress sparkled under the bright lights as she walked down to David, who kissed her hand, making her blush.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Lady Seraphina."

"Likewise," Sera said with her brightest smile.

"So have you been on a date with Prince Brandon yet?"

"Yeah," Sera said, "I think he's been on a date with everyone once. We went to the observatory to go stargazing."

"That sounds quite romantic," David said, giving her a suggestive look.

Her cheeks colored again as she said, "It was. It was also a lot of fun. Prince Brandon doesn't know any constellations so I enlightened him a bit."

"And what would you say is your favorite part of the Selection so far?"

Sera thought for a moment, "I'd have to say getting to know all of the other girls. Growing up it was just me and my siblings so getting to be around so many great girls is a lot of fun! All of us are different and it's nice to get to know girls from different backgrounds and castes and to see that we can be friends." Her voice had the most enthusiasm as she talked about her friendships.

David smiled at her, "And who would you say you're closest with out of the Selected?"

Seraphina didn't even pause, "Definitely Kadence and London. I met Kadence on the flight over and we were pretty much instant friends. Once we got to the palace London just kinda fit in with us. We're all so different I don't know how we manage to stay friends, but we are and it's great."

"I think that's a great point, Lady Seraphina, one that we all need to realize. It's been a pleasure talking with you."

With one last smile Sera went back to her seat, glad that she hadn't made a fool of herself.

 **...**

Aria was her true self and had everyone laughing at her bold, sarcastic answers. She definitely had confidence to poke fun at David and it was clear she had several admirers in the studio audience. She'd talked about designing with passion in her voice and Juliet knew it wouldn't be long before she had her own fashion label. She was sure that after tonight plenty of people would be clamoring for her designs.

As for Juliet, she couldn't keep from fidgeting her hands as she waited for her name to be called. She wished she could have Aria's confidence but she just didn't. She risked a quick glance at Brandon but he was focused on Shevonne, who was onstage at the time. Subconsciously her gaze drifted over to Ryan, but as soon as she did that she chastised herself. She was there for _Brandon_. Ryan was just being polite the other day, nothing more.

"Miss Juliet O'Shea, come on down." David called, startling her.

With one last look at her friend Zinnia- who was wearing a dress similar to her own, blush colored with ruffles- she made her way to the stage, trying not to trip on her long hem. She also reminded herself not to mess with the wrist-length sleeves, which were beginning to itch in all the heat. Zinnia's choice of off-the-shoulder sleeves had definitely been more practical.

"Good evening, Lady Juliet. How are you doing?"

Juliet thought for a minute, "I'm doing great, David. I'm so excited to be here, it's really a dream come true."

"I'm glad to hear that. The palace really is lovely, including the people inside it. Which of the royal siblings, other than Prince Brandon, would you like to spend the day with?"

Juliet didn't even have to think about her answer, "Princess Brooklyn. We've spent some time together in the Women's Room and she's just so much fun to be around and super spontaneous. I can't even imagine what a day with her would be like." Juliet shared a smile with the Princess and was relieved to see that Brook was beaming at her. Next to the princess, Ryan caught her eye and pretended to be offended that she didn't pick him. She gave a minute shrug in response.

"Very true," David agreed before launching into the next question, "What are three words that you would use to describe yourself, for our viewers who don't know you yet."

Juliet gave a tentative smile, "My sister Stella always says that I'm selfless. I don't know if I really am, but she always says I need to do more for myself and stop worrying about other people and their problems. I'm also pretty optimistic. Even when I know the odds are slim, I can hope, like with the Selection. Part of me just _knew_ I was going to get in. I've also been told that I'm very romantic and I know that I am. I've always been looking for a fairytale in my life and waiting for my Prince Charming."

David smiled warmly at her, "Well then I think you're in exactly the right place."

 **...**

Priya walked onstage to a ridiculous amount of applause. As the representative from Angeles she was the hometown favorite, and it seemed that everyone in the studio audience was rooting for her. David had to quiet the crowd three times before he could greet her.

"Lady Priya, you are looking as wonderful as ever."

She answered with a graceful smile, "Thanks, David, you don't look too bad yourself."

He chuckled but smiled warmly at her, "Why thank you. Now I already know, but why don't you tell our viewers what you did before the Selection."

"Before I was Selected I was following in my mother's footsteps. She's the governor of Angeles and I was submersed in politics before I could even walk. I've been apprenticing for the royal advisors for several years now and that was my job before the Selection."

"And how is that different from what you do now, as a Selected?"

Priya paused to collect her thoughts, "The two jobs are very different, and yes being Selected is a job not just a ticket to easy street. With my apprenticeship I was much more involved in legislature and the inner workings of the government. I learned how to pass laws, how the government works, and how to best help provide for the people I'm representing. As Selected, our main focus is on diplomacy. We have to balance different cultures needs without offending anyone and learn all of the proper ways for dealing with people. Having representatives from feuding countries at the palace and maintaining peace is much harder than is sounds."

"I would imagine it is. As someone who has been at the palace for longer than a few weeks, what is your favorite place here?"

"The stables and riding paths for sure. I've always loved riding horses, there's just something about it that calms me down after a bad day, and the palace has some of the best horses and trails I've ever seen."

"Thank you for talking with us, Lady Priya. Next we have Miss Elody Bond."

...

Vivian watched as Zinnia made her way down to David, giving her friend an encouraging smile when she turned back.

Zinnia truly shone in her interview, her enthusiasm for everything apparent in her whole demeanor. When David mentioned her popularity among Illéa, Zinnia beamed so brightly that Vivian knew she would be at the top of the polls in the morning. As she spoke her words got faster and faster and she grew more excited about the questions. Her bubbly nature was contagious and everyone was smiling with her, even Brandon from his seat across the stage.

Following Zinnia was Taylor and the two could not have been more polar opposite. Zinnia was cute, sweet, and honest while Taylor was flirtatious, coy, and over-the-top.

Her outfit was ostentatious but not as bad as Vivian had expected. Maybe Taylor was trying to keep her sweetheart image to stay ahead in the polls, but there was no way she could beat Zinnia. Taylor's dress was a figure-hugging bright red mermaid dress covered in sparkling embellishments, especially around her bust which was about to fall out because the thin straps on her gown kept inching steadily down her shoulders.

Taylor's responses were so fake Vivian wanted to gag. When she claimed that all of the girls looked up to her because she didn't view the Selection as a competition, Aria snorted so loudly she drew several looks. Next to Vivian, Zinnia burst out laughing.

"Why don't you tell us a bit about your date, Lady Taylor." David asked.

With a giggle and a coy smile Taylor told him, "Oh, David, I don't kiss and tell."

The audience gasped and Vivian saw most of the Selected look blindsided at the news. Obviously most of them hadn't gotten a kiss.

The next thing that happened shocked Vivian more than anything else had that night. All of the screens that showed the girls what people at home were seeing changed from the shots of David and the Selected to a photo of Brandon and Taylor kissing in the movie theater. Vivian saw Zinnia blink back tears as she looked at it.

One look at Brandon's face and Vivi knew this hadn't been his idea. He wouldn't hurt all of the girls like that. But whoever's idea it had been, it definitely worked. Everyone went nuts. It was the most the public had seen of Brandon and a girl, and they ate it up.

With a smug smile on her face, Taylor made her way back to her seat, letting Vivi take her place opposite David.

Vivian was still so shocked from the reveal that she hardly paid attention to the answers she gave David. Which was probably a good thing, because if she'd been paying attention she was sure her shyness would have only allowed her one word answers, but as it was she was doing fine. The only question she truly paid attention to was the last one.

"What do you miss most about your home, Lady Vivian?"

She didn't hesitate, "My best friends and my little sister. It's been hard not seeing her everyday but I know she's being well taken care of. If you're watching this Mel, I love you!"

 **...**

London had been confident since she'd first heard they would be interviewed. She was used to being on camera for tons of people but the difference was she could edit her vlogs. On the Report everything was live. She couldn't mess up, but she knew she wouldn't.

Her smile was bright as she made her way down to David, steady in her heels. Her two piece black dress contrasted nicely with her burgundy hair and the top of it left a strip of stomach bare. The long skirt was sheer, leaving her tan legs visible.

"Hi, David," she greeted him.

"It's a pleasure, Lady London."

"Thanks," she chirped.

"Now, you run a blog, correct? How has that been affected by the Selection?"

She smiled at the camera, "I do run a blog, it's called _London's Tower_. It was doing fine before, but I think the Selection is the best thing that could have happened for it. The blog traffic has gone through the roof since the Selection started and people really seem to like my vlogs about the Selection. The ones with the other girls are really popular and the one I did with Prince Brandon went viral within hours."

"That's great. So what do you think of the prince so far?"

She paused to gather her thoughts, "He's different than any other guy I've ever dated, which is a good thing. He's very generous and I know he cares about all of us here. He's always worried about us and trying to make us happy, regardless of what he wants, which I think is amazing."

"You said he's different than other guys, just how many boys have you dated, London?" David teased.

She tried to stop her cheeks from coloring as she answered, "Just a few."

"What's surprised you most about the Selection?"

"Actually everything," London said with a laugh, "I wasn't even sure I wanted to be Selected in the first place but now that I'm here I can't imagine anything else. Everything has been great, I'm not sure what I'll do if I have to leave."

"Speaking of leaving, there's been a rumor that an elimination is coming up. Any guesses as to who it will be?"

"I honestly don't know. I'd say it's all up to Prince Brandon and what he decides. All I know is that I hope I'm here for quite a while."

David dismissed her and London went back to her seat. On her way offstage she passed Kadence, giving her nervous friend a motivational smile. As much as London had been excited for the interview, Kadence had been dreading it. She was shy as it was but having to speak in front of millions of people on live television pushed her over the edge. She'd been terrified all week but London had done her best to reassure her.

London watched her friend answer the questions. She was open and sweet, even admitting to David that she had stage fright. Kadence didn't do as well as Ember or Flara but she wasn't horrible. And she looked amazing in her strapless baby blue dress with purple and white flowers on the bodice. By the time Kadence finished her interview she was looking much better. She even smiled at London as she left the stage. London was happy for her friend but she was also getting hungry. She couldn't wait for the last girls to do their interviews so that they could all go to dinner.

 **...**

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, it's time for our last girl of the evening, Lady Amaretta Foster."

Amara stood when she heard her name. Her dark red dress fell around her, the crimped skirt trailing behind her as she made her way to the stage.

"How are you tonight, Lady Amaretta?"

"Well I'm here at the palace, David, so I must be doing pretty well." She teased.

"I should have known," he responded, "now I've heard that your prefer Amara, is that correct?"

"Yes. Amaretta is just a bit too long. I've found that Amara is much simpler and just easier to remember."

"After tonight I don't think people will have trouble remembering your name," David informed her.

"Really?" Amara asked, awed, "To be honest I _still_ have trouble remembering the other girls' names and I've known them for two weeks! I don't know how you keep us all straight."

David held up his notecards in one hand, "Don't tell anyone, but I'm a cheater."

Amara laughed quietly but mimed zipping her lips, "Your secret's safe with me."

"That's a relief," he said before changing the subject and getting back to the questions, "if you could be known for one thing, what would it be?"

That was a question Amara didn't have a ready answer for. She really had to think before saying, "I think if I'm going to be remembered for one thing, I'd want it would be for who I am. Right now most people just see me as a foster child or a Selected. I'm fine with being those things but they're not what define me. I'm a pretty good musician but most people don't know that, they just see me as a Seven. That's one of the really great things about Prince Brandon; he sees past the stereotypes and what everyone else sees and he can appreciate us for who we are, not for what the world says we should be."

On the other side of the stage Brandon beamed and Amara couldn't help but smile back.

David caught the exchange and asked, "So is the prince what you expected?"

"Not at all," Amara admitted, "I really didn't have any idea what to expect when I found out I was Selected. I didn't know much about Prince Brandon and part of me didn't think I'd like him at all but he's proved me wrong in every aspect."

"I think you're absolutely right. Thank you for being with us, Lady Amara and I'm afraid that's all the time we have for now."

Amara stood and left the stage as David wrapped up the show, reminding everyone to tune in tomorrow for the special footage of Princess Natalie's birthday. She tuned him out when she caught sight of her friends, beaming with relief at Mona. It was over.

 **...**

 **So that was the interviews, I hope you like them. In the comments let me know who your favorites were and who were you least favorites. Anything you'd like to see more of and any ideas for Natalie's ball, I'd love to hear them!**

 **Ok guys this is just a heads up. It could be a good two or three weeks before I get the chance to update again because I won't even have the chance to work on this story. I'm leaving for a weeklong mission trip on Sunday so this will be the last update until I get back from that. If you guys believe and want to pray for me that would be awesome but I wish you all an amazing week like I know mine will be!**

 **Love you guys! Until next time.**

 **~Jen**


	31. Birthday Ball

**Hey guys! Hope you all had an awesome week, I know I did! This chapter should have been out yesterday but I got Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and I've been too excited reading it! Sorry! Thank you all for being amazing readers, you guys rock!**

 **Alright so it's finally here: The birthday party! I hope you guys like it!**

 **Thanks to these awesome people for reviewing:** XOStarbrightXO, morethanjustastory, Demigod18, Cookiedoodles168, , Guest, and wolfofstark **. Your reviews all mean so much to me, thank you guys! And just a warning for all of you who have characters but never review- don't expect them to stick around much longer. If I don't know you're reading the story I'm not going to want to write about your characters!**

 **...**

Brooklyn sat exhausted at her vanity while her maids put the finishing touches on her complex updo. The day had already been crazy and things were truly just getting started. The English, French, and German guests had arrived that morning and Brook and Serenity had been in charge of coordinating everything with them and making sure all of their accommodations were taken care of. Brook had also tried to spend time with Leo to make sure all of their. . . _surprises_ were ready for Nat's suitors that night. She'd also had to check up on the Selected to make sure they were ready along with making sure everything at the ball would be going according to plan. The decorations were up and looked beautiful. The theme for the night was Summer's Dream because it was the last week of summer and all of the trees were about to change their colors. There were fairy lights strung through the trees and flowers and the doors of the ballroom opened out to allow the guests easy access to the sprawling gardens.

It truly was a breathtaking sight, it was just a shame that Natalie wouldn't really be able to enjoy it. She'd spent all week avoiding her suitors and hiding out wherever she could find.

Brook's maids finished her hair and she stood up, going to go check on her older sister. When she stood her dress fell in layers around her. The sheer tulle shirt covered the blush pink material giving it a shimmering affect that matched the lacy white flowers flowing over the bodice of the dress. As she left the room Brook couldn't help but glance in the mirror and smile at what she saw. Her maids had outdone themselves.

She walked down the hallway and barged into Natalie's room without knocking. Luckily her sister was all ready for the ball and simply sitting and staring out the window. She didn't even look up when Brooklyn entered.

"Nat?" Brook asked cautiously.

Slowly Natalie turned to her sister, her hazel eyes sad, "Hey, Brookie."

Brook walked over and joined her sister on the window seat, their full skirts poofing out in front of them. Brook nudged her sister with her shoulder before saying, "Come on, Nat, it's your birthday, you're supposed to be _happy_."

Nat just looked sadly at her little sister. When she responded she wasn't upset, just resigned, "How can I be happy when I'm about to give up all of my freedom?"

Brook had no answer for that and just laid her head on Nat's shoulder in a comforting way.

Nat sighed and looked down at her little sister, "I hope you never have to go through this, Brook."

Again Brook was speechless. Instead of saying anything she stood up and offered Natalie a hand. When Nat stood up Brook couldn't help but gasp.

"Natalie, you look _incredible_ ," she breathed. And her sister truly did. Her dress was strapless and a dark navy blue material with what looked like tiny diamonds sewn all over the bodice and skirt. It shimmered whenever she moved and truly gave the impression that she was the summer sky. The look was completed by her dirty blonde hair being pulled back by a starry headband and shimmery makeup. She was glowing and when she smiled the room seemed to light up brighter.

"Thanks, Brook. So do you."

Brook couldn't help but beam at her sister's praise. Natalie was truly everything she aspired to be so any compliment from her was special.

"Are you ready?" Brook asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Well we'd better go then or we're going to be late."

Nat smiled wryly, "It's not like they can start without us."

Brook laughed and together they walked out into the hallway to wait for their escorts. Brandon was taking her and Ryan was escorting Natalie. If things were going according to plan Leo was setting up with Flara and Sage and they would make sure that none of the suitors bothered Natalie tonight so that she could enjoy her birthday without them. As Brook watched her sister she knew there was no better present to give her than that. Even if their plan didn't work, this was sure to be a night to remember.

 **...**

Zinnia was the most excited she'd been since the Selection had started, and that was saying something. Everything around her glowed with golden light and flowers were everywhere. If all birthdays as a princess were like this then Zinnia knew it was what she wanted, even if being a princess didn't mean marrying Brandon. But that was _definitely_ a perk. She knew her birthday next week wouldn't be anywhere near this fancy but part of her couldn't help but hope.

Everyone was dressed up and looked incredible. There weren't enough words to describe how Zinnia felt as she watched the rest of the guests filter in. There were celebrities that she never dreamed she'd meet walking around and Zinnia couldn't believe the amount of royalty in attendance. She felt inadequate in comparison and it was a relief when she saw Juliet and Vivian walk in so that she had someone to speak with.

She bounced over to her friends excitedly, exclaiming, "Isn't this _amazing_?"

The girls could only nod, looking around with the same awe that Zinnia felt.

Ember entered the room and quickly joined them, looking much more at home than the other three, but she was a Two and used to these sort of gatherings.

"You guys look amazing," she told them.

"Thanks," Juliet said, "you do too." And she did. The redhead was stunning in a light blue dress with off the shoulder sleeves.

"Come on," Ember told them, the boldest of the group, "we can't stand here all evening."

She led them deeper into the room where more people were. Vivian drew closer to Zinnia, a bit overwhelmed by all the new faces and the two made their way over to a table full of hors d'oeuvres and each of them took a plate and began filling it up.

Zinnia nibbled on her food while she watched the guests mill around the room, still not sure who most of them were. She recognized Prince Christian from Swendway and Prince Oliver from France along with several Illéan bachelors who were all rumored to ask for Princess Natalie's hand.

With most of the royals not yet arrived it seemed people didn't know what to do. A few were speaking with the King and Queen at their table in the front of the room but most people were standing around, looking a bit lost.

Just as Zinnia was about to suggest they go mingle, Flara rushed up to them, hair dishelved and a wicked grin on her face.

"Where's Aria?" she asked.

"Aria?" Vivian echoed.

"Yeah, I need to talk to her."

"We haven't seen her," Zinnia said.

"Well if you do, tell her I'm looking for her and that everything's ready. She'll know where to meet me."

"Okay," Vivian said.

Zinnia asked, "Do we even want to know what you have planned?"

Flara smirked, "Probably not," she informed them before turning and hurrying off the way she came.

Before Zinnia could remark at Flara's strange behavior everyone's attention was called to the front where the royals were making their entrance.

First were Matthew and Serenity, arm and arm and looking as happy as ever. Serenity's baby bump was on proud display in a gorgeous turquoise maternity dress. Following them were Princess Brooklyn and Prince Brandon. Zinnia's heart stopped when she looked at Brandon. He was so handsome and kind. His eyes met hers across the room and her heart soared but then deflated as his gaze switched to Vivian and her friend blushed. After them came the birthday girl herself and everyone's breath stopped when Natalie entered the room. She was glowing and matched the decorations perfectly. It was no wonder so many guys wanted to marry her.

As soon as all of the royals were there the band, which had been silent until then, started up. Serenity and Matthew were the first on the dance floor, holding each other so close it was almost as if they were one person. Ryan and Natalie joined them, laughing together and soon Lorenzo had found Brook and they were dancing as well. Lots of other people took this as their cue and joined them on the dance floor.

Vivian was whisked away by a gentleman and Zinnia was left by herself. She was thinking about going to find someone to talk with when Brandon approached her. She curtseyed when he bowed to her.

"Lady Zinnia, may I have this dance?"

She giggled at his formality but took his arm, "I'd be honored, Your Highness."

 **...**

Aria watched as Brandon waltzed Zinnia around the room, Zinnia looking like she was on cloud nine the entire time. Lots of other girls were dancing as well. Miami was dancing with Ricardo, Callista with Prince Christian, and Elody with a handsome man that Aria vaguely recognized but couldn't name. She thought he was some famous Two.

While part of her wished someone had asked her to dance, the rest of her was relieved because she couldn't be on the dance floor to help with Natalie's present. When Brook had come to her with the plan to drive Natalie's suitors away for the night, Aria had been more than happy to help and she knew that Flara was the best one to help with their plans. The fiery redhead was a prank master and she had the best ideas for jokes. As Aria watched she saw Flara sneak something into the German prince's drink. Aria knew it was just a small sedative that in a few minutes would knock him out for hours. Flara caught her eye from across the room and grinned. Aria couldn't help but grin back.

She then watched as the song ended and everyone went to find new partners. Brandon walked over to Aurora, who looked like Cinderella with her blonde curls and pale blue dress, and took her hand. Prince Christian was talking with Natalie, and Taylor, seeing that Brandon was already taken, positioned herself so that Ryan had no choice but to ask her.

While everyone was busy Aria watched Flara get a glass of deep red wine and position herself at the edge of the dance floor before giving Aria the signal that she was ready. Aria nodded and adjusted her strapless mermaid gown before making her way over to the French prince.

"Prince Oliver?" she asked as she neared the man with dark hair and grey eyes.

He turned and looked at her before saying, "Yes?" in his adorable accent.

"Hi," she greeted with a curtsey, or at least her best attempt at a curtsey in her tight dress, "My name is Aria. Princess Natalie has told me _so_ much about you," she lied with a sweet smile, "Would you like to dance?"

"Of course," he answered, taking her hand and leading her out onto the dance floor.

He put his hand on her waist and began spinning her across the floor. He was a good dancer and good at leading. Aria hadn't counted on that. She needed to get him over to Flara but she couldn't see how she was going to do that. For the minute though she just allowed herself to be waltzed around by a handsome prince, as if she were truly in a fairytale.

Across the room Aria saw Brook whispering to her sister and when the grin spread across Natalie's face Aria knew that she was aware of their plan and that she approved.

Sage had already taken care of the Illéan suitors and Brook was on her way to getting rid of Christian; Ricardo got to stay (which Aria was pretty sure was just because he was Leo's brother and not because Natalie had any feelings for him) so that just left Aria and Oliver, except he was taking them in the completely opposite direction!

"You are a part of Brandon's Selection, correct?" Oliver broke Aria out of her thoughts.

"What?" she asked and then processed his question and answered, "Yes, I am. He's very nice."

Oliver nodded in agreement and didn't say anything else so Aria asked, "How are you enjoying your stay in Illéa so far?"

His grey eyes lit up, "I like it very much. All the people here are so _very_ nice." He smiled at her as he said it and Aria felt color rise to her cheeks.

Before she could respond someone bumped into her back and sent her stumbling into Oliver, who caught her arms and righted her.

"Hey!" She called, turning around to see who had bumped her.

Azura was behind her, her amber eyes sparkling and standing out from her gorgeous blue and black gown.

"Sorry," she apologized, but Aria didn't even hear her. She was too busy staring at Azura's partner.

Logan's green eyes skimmed over Aria's figure hugging white dress with blue detailing and then met her eyes before he turned to Oliver. His eyes immediately narrowed as he took in Oliver's hand on Aria's waist. Aria didn't think he had room to judge though as his hands were on Azura and he was holding her much closer than necessary, especially considering the deep v-neck of her gown.

"I'm sorry," Oliver apologized, "I did not see you there."

Without a word Logan turned and spun Azura away from them. He was so _rude_.

"Are you alright?" Oliver asked her.

"Yeah, but maybe I should be done with dancing for now," she told him with a sheepish smile as she led him away from the other dancers.

She'd been having such a good time dancing that she'd completely forgotten that she was supposed to be sabotaging Oliver. She only remembered when she saw Flara waiting for her a few feet away.

Quickly she changed her course so that Oliver was between the two girls. She saw Flara prepare to dump her drink and quickly backed up to protect her white dress.

Poor Oliver didn't know what hit him. Flara was quite convincing and it did appear as an unfortunate accident when her red wine slipped from her grasp and spilled all over Oliver's face and pristine white shirt.

"I'm so sorry!" Flara cried, "I'm such a klutz!"

"It is okay," Oliver assured her, "it is not too bad."

"No," she argued, "it's pretty bad, I think you need to go change."

"It will be okay," he repeated.

Flara shot Aria a panicked look. He _had_ to leave.

"No," Aria told him, "I think you need to change. Princess Natalie is _really_ into appearances and if you look like this at her party there's no way she'll want to get engaged to you."

"Really?" Oliver asked.

"Oh yeah," said Flara, playing along, "if I were you, I'd leave _right_ now. I would also shower because right now you smell like a drunk homeless man."

Oliver looked very concerned but still didn't want to leave, the girls practically pushed him out the door and once he was gone they both breathed a sigh of relief.

Flara turned to Aria with a wide grin and held up her hand for a high five. Mission accomplished.

 **...**

Overall Priya had enjoyed the ball more than she'd thought she would. Typically she wasn't a fan of balls. They were just veiled political meetings and Priya would much rather be in a boardroom with a notepad preparing to help fix the country. But tonight was different. Tonight, even though it was Natalie's birthday, it felt like _she_ was the star.

Everyone wanted a chance to speak with her and to hear her opinions. Nobody treated her like a stupid teenager who didn't know what she was doing. No, they treated her like her ideas were gold and Priya loved it.

She'd already spoken with most of the foreign royalty and had been shocked when they'd known who she was and seemed impressed by her. She'd danced with all three Illéan princes and several young legislators already and the night was just starting.

Everything seemed shiny and new. Priya felt happier than she had in a long time and she wasn't sure if it was because she was finally being taken seriously or the several flutes of champagne she'd had.

Whatever the case, she couldn't keep the smile off of her face as she chatted with the Queen of England, arm-in-arm with Brandon.

The Queen was explaining some of the legislative procedures in England and a bit about their constitution in case Illéa was thinking about switching to a constitutional monarchy, which is what the English were.

Priya vaguely recalled asking about this but she couldn't get her brain to focus on the Queen's words and for some reason she found that hilarious. Through fits of giggles she listened to the Queen, trying to take in the words but finding it impossible.

The Queen broke away from them and Brandon turned to Priya with concerned eyes, "Are you alright?"

She laughed again and snagged another glass of champagne from a passing waiter, "I'm fine. Great actually. What about you?" Then without waiting for his answer she took a swig of champagne and pointed with a wobbly finger toward the corner where the cake was sitting, "Who's Natalie talking to?" She was standing in the corner talking to a cute boy who Priya had never seen before. He had dirty blonde hair and brown eyes and a great smile. He wasn't dressed for the ball but he wasn't wearing the uniform of a server or guard. As Priya watched he said something that made Natalie laugh. Her eyes shone and it was the happiest she'd looked all night.

Without looking Brandon said, "I don't know," and quickly plucked the flute from her hands and set it on a nearby table.

"Hey," she protested weakly, reaching for the glass.

Brandon intercepted her hand and locked his fingers with hers. He stared deeply into her blue eyes and leaned in close to her ear, "I think you've had enough."

She was about to argue again when she looked into his eyes. The concern there stopped her short. What was she _doing_? She was _not_ her mother. She wouldn't let alcohol control her life. She was stronger than that.

Slowly she let her hand fall. Brandon gave her a smile, happy with her choice. She smiled back, glad he had known who she was even when she hadn't.

"Are you good?" he asked her.

She nodded uncertainly and pushed the glass farther away from her.

Brandon gave her another smile and turned away, almost running into London, who was showing off her gorgeous figure in a backless black dress with a golden belt at the waist and a thigh high slit with more golden material over her leg to make it a bit more modest.

"Would you like to dance, London?" he asked her.

"Of course," she said, taking his arm.

The two walked off and left Priya alone. Normally she would have been fine with that but when she saw the Queen of England walking back toward her she panicked. She didn't want to speak with her alone so she looked around and called to the first person she spotted.

"Flara! Come here."

The older girl slowly walked over to Priya, "Yes?"

"Don't leave me alone," she said.

"Why?" Flara asked just as the Queen returned.

Flara caught sight of the woman and her face paled. The Queen looked at Priya and as her gaze switched to Flara her mouth dropped open. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Emmalina?" she breathed.

Priya was sure it must have been the alcohol playing tricks on her brain because there was no way the Queen knew Flara.

But when Priya glanced at her friend she saw recognition in Flara's eyes as she steeled herself and looked at the Queen.

"Hello, mother."

 **...**

Ryan was drunk. There was no other word to describe how intoxicated he was but he was past the point of caring. He'd been sober when he escorted Nat in and for the first few dances but as soon as he'd seen Annika wrapped up with Lukas he'd snapped.

There was no way he could sit there all night and watch the two of them so instead he'd turned toward the bar and devoted himself there. He'd only left the bar when girls had asked him to dance, otherwise he'd drowned his troubles in whiskey.

He drained another cup as he watched all the couples on the dance floor. Natalie had somehow managed to avoid her suitors and was dancing with Lorenzo, looking happy. Brook was with Ricardo and Matthew and Serenity looked as blissful as ever while they danced together. Brandon was with a girl in a lilac dress who Ryan couldn't have named even while sober and had no prayer of identifying in his present state.

Several other Selected were dancing with guards and other guests. Ryan saw the young German ambassador, Alexander Maxfield, dancing with a pretty Selected in a dark grey dress.

As he watched, the song ended and everyone left the dance floor to find new partners. Brandon went up to a lovely Indian girl in a royal blue dress and asked her. Ryan was about to ask for another drink when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He turned and found himself staring into the ice blue eyes of Taylor Lawrence. Taylor was one of the few Selected that he could actually remember. She was definitely one of the hottest. Tonight her blonde hair was up leaving nothing to conceal her backless dress or the plunging neckline that came along with it.

Ryan raised an eyebrow at her and took another sip of his drink.

She watched him then gave a flirtatious smile, "Would you like to dance?"

Ryan smirked at her. She'd already danced with him three times that night. But he wasn't going to say no to dancing with a hot girl and especially not when there was a chance Annika could be watching.

Ryan slammed his now empty glass down and stood up, swaying a bit.

" _Sure_ ," he slurred.

Taylor didn't seem to mind his drunkenness and took the lead as they walked to the dance floor.

As they danced Ryan pulled her close. He noticed her hands wandering over his back but he was too drunk to care. For the moment he was content to just away to the music with a pretty girl in his arms.

By the time the song ended Ryan was halfway asleep and nearly had his head on Taylor's shoulder. It took her disentangling herself from his arms for him to realize the music had stopped.

Blearily he watched as Taylor sauntered away from him and over to Brandon to begin flirting.

Before he had a chance to exit the dance floor he felt another hand on his arm, this one gentler and too familiar.

"What do _you_ want?" he snarled, pulling away from her so hard he nearly fell over.

"Ryan?" Annika asked softly, "Are you alright?"

Ryan tried to turn away but it seemed like wherever he looked she was there.

"I said, what do you want?" he repeated, unable to come up with anything more eloquent.

"Well," Annika said, nervously playing with a strand of her blonde hair, "I saw you with that other girl and I just. . . I don't know what. I just wanted to talk with you. Maybe dance, for old times sake?"

Ryan stared into her green eyes and for the first time he felt _nothing_. No hatred, no anger, no love. Nothing.

He gave her his most charming grin as he spotted orange-red hair out of the corner of his eye, "Sorry, Annika, I already have a partner."

He turned and grabbed Juliet's hand as she tried to walk by.

"What're you-" she started but was cut off as Ryan spun her quickly around and out of sight of Annika.

Ryan stared at Juliet and wondered how he'd ever thought she was just average. She was _beautiful_. Her scarlet hair and hazel eyes were dazzling and she looked especially pretty in her light blue-grey dress with a slit up the side.

Juliet attempted to catch her breath from his dizzying motion and Ryan glanced over his shoulder to make sure Annika hadn't followed them.

Juliet caught the look and said, "Explain."

Ryan attempted to distract her with another charming smile but she didn't fall for it.

"Explain what just happened. Now." She ordered, the sternest he'd ever seen her.

"I can't," he told her honestly, for he wasn't completely sure he understood himself, "not with everyone here."

Juliet glanced around before seeing a side exit into the lit gardens. She grabbed his arm and steered him over there while he swayed the entire time.

They reached the gardens and Ryan collapsed onto a bench, seriously regretting his last few drinks. All he wanted to do was curl up and forget the entire evening.

"What happened back there?" Juliet asked him, softer now that they were alone.

"I don't-" he started, "I just- She makes me _crazy_ ," he finally spat out.

"Who?" Juliet asked, but Ryan had already forgotten what they were talking about.

"Look," he pointed at the dangling, shimmering lights, "the stars are falling down. We better go fix them."

"Ryan," she said gently, "it's just the decorations."

"Noooooo," he slurred, "they're falling and they can't get up."

Juliet was undeterred though, "Who are you avoiding, Ryan?" she sat down on the bench next to him, "Why won't you talk to me? Why do you _always_ push _everyone_ away?"

"Shhhhhhh," he said, leaning in close and putting a finger against her lips, "you talk too much."

"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed, pulling away from him, "You _reek_! How much have you had to drink? You're completely hammered!"

"Shhhhhhh," he repeated again, clapping his hands over his ears. He was already starting to get a headache from the alcohol and her shrill voice was making everything worse.

"Ryan, this _can't_ be good for you. I'm going to go get someone to help, you need to go lie down."

"I'm fine," he assured her.

"You are _not_ ," she asserted, "You need-"

Ryan would never find out what needed because he grew annoyed at all her talking and did the only thing he could think of to make her be quiet.

He leaned forward and crushed his mouth against hers.

 **...**

 **That seemed like a good place to stop.**

 **The next chapter will also be the ball and let me know whose POVs you want to see in that chapter and I'll probably do them.**

 **Don't forget to leave me a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **~Jen**


	32. No Going Back

**Ok so I definitely got strong reactions after last chapter. Seriously within an hour I had ten new reviews you all seriously have no idea how excited that made me and it's really like 90% of how I got this chapter done so fast.(it's midnight right now but I really want to get this out for you guys). You guys inspire me so much and I'm so thankful every time any of you take time to review but especially these amazing people: LeaGirlWriter22 (x2), LadyAnj (x4), Cookiedoodles168, XOStarbrightXO (x2), (x2 because I forgot her last chapter! Sorry!), Happygreenbirdy, Clara Margaux, ApolloSerenity (x4), and jess120.**

 **Hope this chapter clears some things up for you and that you like it as much as last chapter!**

 **...**

Juliet froze in shock. She couldn't wrap her mind around what was happening. Ryan was kissing her. Kissing _her_.

She knew this was wrong and that a thousand terrible things could happen, but for one minute she didn't care. She didn't care that she was committing treason or that she could be punished for it; she only cared about the fact that for once in her life part of her felt complete.

It was by no means a great kiss. Ryan's movements were sloppy and uncoordinated in his intoxicated state and Juliet could taste the alcohol on his lips. She was so shocked that she didn't even kiss him back. She was a statue as Ryan's lips caressed hers. It was clear he had a lot of practice since he was so good even while drunk.

Finally, Juliet's common sense kicked in and she raised her arms. As much as she ached to pull him closer she forced herself to push him away.

She stood from the bench, putting as much distance between them as she could.

" _What_ just happened?" she asked, more to herself than him, "You can't just go around kissing people!" She paced back and forth in front of the bench as she continued her rant, "Especially not people who are in your _brother's_ Selection! Do you have any idea what could happen now? What were you _thinking_?"

Juliet stopped her pacing and stared at Ryan. His blonde hair was mussed and his hazel eyes were glazed. He seemed to be staring right through her.

She waited for him to answer but he remained silent.

 _This is it_ Juliet thought _he's going to tell me how he feels. He's going to say that he_ wasn't _thinking because I do that to him._ Romantic sap that she was Juliet had been waiting for this moment her entire life. She was _certain_ he was going to declare his love for her. How could he not have felt what she did?

With bated breath she watched as she slid from the bench so that he was kneeling in front of her.

Her eyes bulged as she stared at him. What on earth was he doing?

"Ugh," he groaned.

As she watched, his face paled and he turned so that his back was to her.

With a jerk he emptied his stomach onto the poor flowers below.

Instantly all thoughts of romance flew from Juliet's head and were replaced with concern. She raced to his side as he continued to vomit. Selfish as it was, Juliet hoped that his sickness was a result of his alcohol consumption and not a reaction to kissing her. Either way, having the person you just kissed throw up was not an encouraging sign.

Finally it subsided and Juliet dared to speak, "Ryan?" He didn't answer, "Are you okay?" She asked, knowing that he wasn't.

With another groan he pressed his head against the cool stone bench.

"Is there anything I can do?" she wondered, "Do you need anything?"

"Matt," he gasped.

"What?"

"Get Matthew. He'll help more than Brandon."

"Are you sure?" Juliet asked.

With a grimace Ryan nodded.

"Alright then. Just stay here."

Ryan gave her his signature smirk, "Jules, I don't think I could go anywhere even if I wanted to."

Juliet tried not to let her cheeks color at the nickname. Nobody ever called her Jules except her father. To avoid Ryan's gaze she turned and began making her way back to the palace in search of the Crown Prince.

 **...**

"Would you like to dance?"

Blaise jumped at the sound of a voice so close. With all of the noise of the party she hadn't heard Brandon walking up to her.

She raised her eyebrows at him, questioning. She hadn't danced with anyone all night, though it was by her own choice as several gentlemen had asked her.

"Yes, I'm sure," Brandon told her, decoding the gesture.

Blaise thought about it for a minute, her brown eyes calculating before saying, "Alright then."

While she didn't really want to dance much, she supposed she owed him after the "date" he'd taken her on. It wasn't romantic in the slightest but it was exactly what Blaise had wanted.

When the rebels had attacked and Blaise had been forced into the tiny safe room she'd discovered a fear she hadn't known she had: claustrophobia.

Blaise wasn't in the habit of having fears since her parents had forced her to face them from a young age, going to extreme lengths to rid her of them. When she was four her mother had dropped her out of a tree to eliminate her fear of heights. Of course her father had been waiting at the bottom to catch her, but Blaise hadn't known that. Ever since then she'd had to face her fears and claustrophobia was no exception.

The only way she thought she could get over it was to spend as much time in a safe room as she could. When she'd asked Brandon for permission she'd expected him to say no, but she'd been shocked when he'd agreed and even insisted on coming with her.

They'd spent the entire afternoon in one of the staff safe rooms. It was much smaller than the royal one and Blaise had felt sick the minute she'd stepped inside, but surprisingly Brandon had helped calm her down and by the end she knew that she'd have no problems the next time she was forced underground.

Blaise felt like she owed Brandon and if dancing with him was how she could repay it than that's what she would do.

Brandon led her onto the dance floor and she immediately felt out of place in her somber black gown amongst the shimmering, sparkling lights and bright colors. She didn't care though.

Brandon masterfully led her through the dance steps as they spun around the dance floor. Blaise was by no means graceful but she didn't step on Brandon's feet more than five times so in her mind it was a success.

While they danced Brandon thought about all the girls left in his Selection. His parents had made it clear that an elimination was necessary after the ball, but Brandon didn't know who to eliminate and he had only hours to figure it out. There were good things about all the girls and Brandon didn't know how he could ever narrow them down to just one. He pondered his choices as he danced with Blaise.

As the music stopped, Brandon bowed to her and Blaise made her way back into the corner, hoping to be invisible once more.

Brandon watched her go before turning and looking for a girl he hadn't danced with yet.

He spotted Flara talking with the Queen of England and Priya so he made his way over to them.

He got there just in time to hear Priya, "I'm sorry, _what_ did you just say?"

"You heard her right, Lady Priya," Queen Cassandra said, "I am Emmalina's mother."

"Emmalina?" Brandon asked, and suddenly everything made sense. Why Flara seemed so familiar to him and how she seemed to understand what he was going through with his princely duties.

She was the runaway princess Emmalina Blakesworth.

Brandon had vague memories of playing with her as a young child, even though she'd been closer to Ryan's age than his. However, Emmalina had dropped off the face of the planet when she turned eighteen and no one had heard anything from her since. The English government had done what they could to coverup the disappearance, and now Emmalina was no more than a ghost and a name in textbooks. Nobody knew why she had left but it was one of the biggest conspiracies out there.

The Queen turned to Brandon, for the first time noticing his presence.

"Have you been hiding my daughter from me?" she seethed, "It's been two and a half years and you never told us that you've been harboring her!"

Brandon knew he should keep his mouth shut but found it impossible, "With all due respect, Your Majesty, none of us knew she was here in Illéa. And even when she was Selected, the last time I saw her I was seven, you couldn't _possibly_ expect me to recognize her."

"With all due respect, _Your Highness_ ," she threw his words back at him, mockingly, "Illéa is the _last_ place I expected my daughter to go because she hates it here."

"Which," Flara interrupted, "is _exactly_ why I came. When I ran away I knew you'd never look for me here. You can't blame the royals here, mother, it was _my_ choice and my actions, they knew nothing."

Before the Queen could respond they were interrupted by a new voice.

"Flara?" The younger English princess gasped, running up to her older sister.

Flara crushed her sister in a hug, looking the happiest Brandon had ever seen her.

" _Elizabeth_!" she cried.

"What are you- How are you- I'm _so_ happy to see you!" Elizabeth hugged her sister back, overcome with emotion, "I can't believe it!"

"I know," Flara told her, "don't worry, I'll explain everything. But maybe we could go somewhere more private."

"Yes, I think that is an excellent idea," the Queen added, "we need to talk about this as a family."

"A _family_?" Flara asked, shocked to hear the word coming from her emotionless, detached mother.

The Queen gave the ghost of a smile, "Yes. A lot has changed since you left, Flara, and I think we need to discuss it."

She turned and made her way to the door, looking every bit the Queen she was while the two princesses followed after, holding onto each other and whispering together.

When they were gone Brandon turned to Priya, her expression a mirror of his own shock.

"That was unexpected," he stated.

"Yes," she said with a shake of her head, "yes it was," and without another she turned, leaving Brandon all alone and more than a little bewildered.

 **...**

Cosmina curtseyed as she thanked her partner for the dance. He was a famous movie actor that Cosmina had never heard of before Shevonne introduced them earlier that night. It seemed like Shevonne knew _everyone_ there and she'd made it her mission to introduce Cosmina, Kadence, and Seraphina to all of her famous friends before the night was over.

Cosmina had met singers, actors, directors, pretty much anyone who was anyone in Illéa. Even though Cosmina was a Two she didn't know people like Ember, London, or Shevonne did. She'd spent most of her time in the arena training for her fencing instead of out mingling with other people, which had never mattered to her before but felt like somewhat of a disadvantage now that she was in the Selection. The fact that she didn't have as many connections hurt her but she knew that right then it didn't matter. Right then all she wanted to do was have a good time.

She exited the dance floor and took a glass of punch from a passing waiter, taking a sip to help cool her down.

"Mina!" she heard someone call her name and turned to see Amara walking towards her, looking gorgeous in her strapless tan tulle gown.

"Mara," she called back when her friend reached her.

Cosmina and Amara had been friends almost since the Selection had started. They'd been seated near each other at dinner and as soon as Cosmina heard Amara's sarcastic comments and amazing stories she'd been reminded of her best friends from home. Ever since the two had gotten very close.

"Isn't everything amazing?" Amara asked her.

"Yeah, I seriously can't believe it. It feels like I'm in a fairytale." Cosmina admitted.

Amara laughed, "Um, we kind of _are_. And look," she pointed, "here comes Prince Charming now." She winked at Cosmina and Cosmina felt herself blush but she laughed anyway.

Brandon was walking through all of the guests and toward them. He'd just finished dancing with Sage was in need of a new partner.

"Have you danced with him yet?" Cosmina asked.

Amara nodded happily, "Yeah, he asked me a few songs ago. For as nervous as he seemed, he was really good."

"Who was?" Taylor asked them, jumping into their conversation out of nowhere.

"Prince Lorenzo," Amara answered without missing a beat, "you should go ask him, I'm sure he'd love to dance with you."

Cosmina snorted, imagining his response if that happened; or more accurately she was imagining _Brook's_ response and what the princess would do if she saw the blonde throwing herself at her boyfriend.

Taylor wasn't fazed though and just scoffed at Amara, "Like he would dance with _you_."

"What are you even doing here?" Amara demanded, her temper waning, "Just get lost already. Or to put it in terms you might understand, _butt out_!"

"Gladly," Taylor said as she stepped in front of them to intercept Brandon.

"Prince Brandon," she cooed, "I feel like I haven't seen you all night. Have you been avoiding me?" she inched closer and placed a hand on his chest.

"Umm," Brandon's ears turned red, "Not on purpose, I mean it's hard to make time for all of you." He slowly tried to back away but Taylor was relentless.

"Well maybe you could make time now, we could dance?" she suggested.

"Oh," Brandon's tone was awkward, "actually I was coming to ask Cosmina to dance." He craned his head to look at her around Taylor's form.

Amara pushed Cosmina forward, trying to give her friend encouragement but Cosmina didn't need it. She was beaming as she told him, "I'd love to."

She could feel Taylor seething at her, her jealousy almost palpable.

Cosmina was careful to avoid the blonde as she walked to Brandon's side and took his arm.

He led her onto the dance floor and pulled her close, his hand on her waist and hers on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry it took so long for me to get to you," he told her as they waltzed.

"It's okay," she assured him, "you did have a lot of girls to dance with tonight."

"I know," he said, looking exhausted, "I have to make an elimination after tonight and I just don't know what to do," he confided to her.

"I have some suggestions," Cosmina muttered under her breath, thinking of the one girl she'd love to see gone.

"What?" Brandon asked.

"Nothing," she said with a smile, changing the subject, "Should I be worried?"

Brandon grinned and spun her around to the music. When she came out of the spin Brandon pulled her even closer, "I don't think you have anything to worry about."

 **...**

Kadence smiled at everything she saw and she couldn't stop. So far, tonight had been perfect for her. She'd gotten to meet tons of people, dance with cute guys, and the cake she was currently eating was probably the best thing she'd ever had.

To her it felt like _nothing_ could go wrong. The whole world was shining and Kadence wasn't sure whether it was her exhaustion (because it was well past midnight), the champagne she'd had, or just her general countenance, but she was giddy with happiness.

She left her empty plate on a table for someone to clear and started looking for her friends. She spotted Sera talking with Natalie, London was dancing of course, and Anya was getting a drink.

Kadence was going to join Anya when she spotted her sister alone in a corner. She changed her course so that she was headed over to Aria. Things still weren't great between them, but they were getting better, and that had to count for something. Kadence was just glad that she had someone to share tonight with. She was so happy that she wanted everyone to feel as happy as she did.

"Hey," she said as she approached Aria.

Aria looked through her for a minute before realizing who she was, but once she did she said, "Hey, Kadence."

"Great party, huh?" Kadence said, her wide smile still on her face.

Aria let out a huge yawn, "Yeah, but it's pretty long. I'm about to fall asleep."

"I know," Kadence said, stepping closer to her, "I seriously don't think I've ever stayed up this late before."

Aria nodded and yawned again, which made Kadence yawn. The girls looked at each other and laughed.

"You look really pretty tonight," Kadence told her. And she did. Her dramatic mermaid gown showed her as the actress she was and hugged all of her curves in the right places. At her thighs it poofed out in white tulle waves. Throughout the night her dramatic makeup had taken a beating so that now it appeared more natural, which just made her more beautiful.

"Well since we're identical, I guess you must look good too," she teased.

"Gee, thanks."

"You really do though," Aria said.

The lilac color looked pretty on Kadence and the empire waisted gown and flowing skirt were just her style. Her makeup had weathered better than Aria's and at that point it looked the same as her twin's. Kadence had worn heels while Aria had opted for vintage flats so that for once they were the same height. Tonight Kadence couldn't have faulted anyone who mixed them up because they truly looked like twins.

Anyone who actually knew them though would be able to tell them apart. Their styles were so different and even the way they carried themselves showed their true personalities.

Aria stood tall, confident in herself and fine with any attention bestowed upon her while Kadence seemed to want to melt into the background whenever anyone spoke to her. Kadence was usually smiling widely, her eyes always gleaming whereas Aria's lips usually held a smirk, just the corners of her mouth turned up, and a mischievous glint in her eye. And when they laughed there was no way people could mistake them. Aria always laughed long and loud, as if every joke was the best in the world and Kadence was more prone to fits of giggles that would come and go. They really were completely different girls but most people didn't take the time to see their differences and just lumped them together, as one person.

"Thanks, Aria," Kadence said sincerely, then asked out of the blue, "do we look like mom?"

Aria looked at Kadence like she'd lost her mind, "Where on earth did that come from?"

Kadence shrugged self-consciously, "I don't know. I mean, I've always wondered. I don't really look like dad so I always figured I must look like my mom. We were talking on the phone last night and. . . I just wonder what she looks like."

"Everyone always told me I looked like her but I could never see it," Aria confessed, "We have the same hair and eyes but she's a tiny thing- only 5'4"- so I guess I get my height from your dad. There's just something about her that I don't have. She's _so_ graceful and she can make _anyone_ like her, kind of like you. I don't know how she does it but I never had that. And she's always so happy she looks like nothing could bring her down and I _know_ I don't have that," when she finished she processed the rest of Kadence's words and said, "Wait, you were talking with her?"

"Yeah," Kadence admitted, "I call her a lot. I like talking to her."

Aria smiled, "She is pretty great."

"And what about you? Do you talk with dad?" Kadence asked her.

Aria snorted, "No and I don't plan on it."

"You're going to have to talk with him sometime," Kadence told her.

"I will not," Aria said, "when will I ever even be in the same room as him?"

"When the families come visit."

Aria sighed, "Kadence, the families don't come until the Elite. There's no way one, let alone both, of us are going to make it to that. There are thirty girls here and twenty of us will be leaving before the Elite."

"Yeah, but Aria," she said, "what were the odds _both_ of us would be chosen for the Selection in the first place? That chance was much smaller, but here we are."

"Even if Brandon wanted to keep us in the Elite he wouldn't keep us both. He doesn't need a repeat."

"Aria, we're not repeats. Despite what people think, we're totally different and that's why we can get along. Anyone who thinks we're the same is an idiot."

Aria laughed, "Thanks, I guess I just needed to hear that."

"It's what I'm here for," Kadence told her, pulling Aria into a hug.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Both girls jumped apart at the voice.

"Not at all," Aria told Brandon.

"Okay," he said, looking nervous, "in that case, would you like to dance, Kadence? I know it's late, but-"

"Sure," she interrupted, taking his hand.

Things had been strained between them since their disaster of a date, but after last night Kadence was on her way to forgiving Brandon. He'd taken her out after the Report and they'd had a private dinner together and really gotten a chance to talk.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to dance with you until now, but at least I made it. I know the last dance doesn't mean much, but I'm glad I get to do it with you."

Kadence felt her cheeks heat up at his words, "I don't mind the last dance. It may not be as important as the first dance, but it will be memorable. Since I'm last I'll be the freshest in your memory."

"That's true," he said, smiling at her, "I guess last isn't really _last_."

 **...**

Natalie watched her party die down, a happy smile on her face. She wasn't sure exactly what Brook had done, but whatever it was it had kept all of her suitors away from her all evening and she was forever grateful to her little sister for that. It had given her time to be with her friends and enjoy her last peaceful evening. Her mother had been so focused on their guests that she hadn't reprimanded Natalie once, another great change. But even though she'd left Nat alone during the party, she'd spent hours beforehand lecturing her daughter and instructing her on who she could and could not marry.

Even though they'd invited lots of guys who were supposed to woo Natalie, there were really only three she was allowed to consider. Prince Oliver from France, Prince Christian from Swendway, and Carter Newsome who was the son of a wealthy Illéan family.

Natalie had broached the subject of marrying someone who wasn't royalty or a Two but her mother had put a stop to those ridiculous thoughts. Even though her brothers could marry anyone they wanted, it seemed Natalie didn't have that option. And she'd been stupid enough to let herself hope. All hope led to was failed dreams and a broken heart.

She shouldn't have let herself get close to the sweet, gentle baker in the kitchens, she'd known there was no hope for them, but something in her had been inexplicably drawn to him anyway. Even though he'd never wanted more than friendship, Natalie found herself liking him more and more each time they met. He was one of the only people who treated her like a normal girl and not a princess. He wasn't afraid to tease her or to tell her the hard truths, unlike most people.

But her feelings didn't matter and she had to do what was best for her country, regardless of her heart.

At least she'd gotten to see Bennett one last time. He'd been one of the kitchen staff to bring in her extravagant cake, and since Brook had gotten rid of her suitors Natalie had been able to spend ten minutes talking with him. They were the best ten minutes of her night and it felt just like every time when she'd sneak down to the kitchens to see him. He made everyone else fade away. It felt like they were the only two people on the planet and that was one of the things she'd loved about him since they first met. He'd been so easygoing and sweet that Natalie had been smitten immediately. But since he didn't seem to feel the same way she'd kept her feeling to herself the whole ten months she'd known him.

And now she was about to sign away her future without ever telling him how she felt.

She saw that some of her suitors had returned from whatever Brook had done but some of them were still missing. It didn't matter though because two of the men she was allowed to accept were there and Natalie knew she'd have to make a decision.

Natalie was quite detached about the whole thing. It was almost as if it were happening to another person and she was merely a spectator. She (and probably the whole country with the amount of cameras that were there) watched as Oliver and Christian both got down on one knee in front of her.

She knew next to nothing about either of them and had only met them a handful of times. In the end her choice was political, as all her choices were. Swendway was on the brink of civil war, just like Illéa was, and one war was enough for Natalie. She didn't want to be involved in both country's wars so she saw herself turn to Oliver and accept his proposal. He stood, slipped the ring on her finger, and entwined their hands.

Everything after that was a blur to Natalie. The celebratory fireworks, all of the congratulations she received, it all flew right over her head.

As the guests filtered out the door, all Natalie could do was stare at the stone in her finger and the man by her side. Not just any man, her _fiancé_. It was too late for her to back out, everything had already been arranged and now there was nothing Natalie could do to stop it. She was engaged.

 **...**

 **Hopefully things make sense now but if they don't PM me and we can talk. This was a super fun event to write so let me know which part was your favorite and who your favorite characters of the chapter were.**

 **Leave me a review with your thoughts on the chapter and some of the things you'd like to see come up in the story. I have it (mostly) planned out but I love hearing your ideas so let me know.**

 **You guys are seriously the best readers a girl could ask for so thanks for being so inspiring. You rock!**

 **~Jen**


	33. To Plan A Party

**Look at me! Three chapters in four days, that's pretty good! It probably won't last much longer since school is right around the corner and things are getting busier for me, but I hope you don't mind.**

 **Thanks to all my great reviewers, I love each and every one of you! Happygreenbirdy, ApolloSerenity, LeaGirlWriter22, Ashley Jackson, XOStarbrightXO, Cookiedoodles168, and morethanjustastory.**

 **I know a lot of you have been asking for an elimination, so here it is. Please don't get upset with me if your character is eliminated. Only one girl can win and I needed to get the Selected down to a more manageable number. This chapter is kind of a filler but it sets things up for events later on. Hope you like it!**

 **...**

Brandon paced back and forth in his small office across the hall from Matthew's. He was tired from the party last night and dreading the decision he had to make.

He couldn't avoid it any longer; it was time to send some girls home. Brandon knew that he couldn't marry thirty girls but he didn't want to hurt any of their feelings. He was nervous enough around them already so he didn't know how he would handle crying, broken-hearted girls but he knew it wouldn't be pretty.

He'd been working on who he should eliminate for days now, ever since his father had told him that some girls needed to leave.

A few of his choices were easy, after all three girls had asked to leave, but some were hard. There were just some girls that Brandon truly hadn't connected with. Vanessa and Yorra both fell into that category, which was why they had to leave. But then there were girls that Brandon liked but he could tell they were unhappy at the palace. Azura longed for her family and circus, she'd told him as much on their date. The only reason she'd entered was to raise money for her family, and with her newfound fame Brandon knew that the circus she lived at would be safe. As hard as it was for him to let her go, he knew that she would be much happier back in Sota.

Callista was another girl who he ached to see go. There was something so wholesome and sweet about her that Brandon couldn't help but be drawn to. He'd liked her from the start but as the weeks went on Brandon had seen a change in her countenance and he could tell how much she missed her family. She'd told Brandon all about her grandmother and how elderly she was. Brandon had a feeling that being away from her grandmother was harder on her than Callista let on and that letting her leave would be best for her.

As for the other girls who were leaving, Brandon knew that it would better for everyone involved if they left. He didn't want to give them hope where there wasn't any.

He was in the middle of putting the finishing touches on his list when a knock on his door interrupted him. Brandon was shocked when the door swung open to reveal none other than Flara Blakes.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

Brandon nodded and when he door was closed behind her he said, "I don't know whether I'm supposed to bow to you or not, Your Highness."

She winced at the title, "Just Flara, please."

"Alright. How can I help you, Flara?"

She bit her lip as she thought her words over, "I want to leave the Selection."

Brandon nodded thoughtfully, "I was wondering if you'd choose that. Does this have anything to do with your mother?"

"Partly," she admitted, "we talked for a long time last night. Before I ran away we used to fight all the time, it was why I left. She just put so much pressure on me and it was terrible. I was able to live with it but then one day she hit me and I just snapped. I didn't ask to be a princess and I didn't want to be one, so I left. But after seeing Elizabeth again I can't just stay away. It was hard enough to leave her the first time and I can't do it again. She _begged_ me to return with them and I can't deny her."

"So you'll be going back to England to be princess?" he asked.

She shook her head, "I abdicated when I left and I'm sticking by that decision. Elizabeth is the heir and sole princess, but I'll be there if she needs anything. I've had more training than her so anything she needs I can help her with. My mother has promised to be more tolerant and that we'll be more like a family, like how you all are here in Illéa, but I have my doubts," she looked skeptical at the idea that her mother could change, "however, I know that that's where I'm meant to be. Although, if things ever get out of hand I'll be back."

Brandon smiled at her, happy for her, "It sounds like you know exactly what you want and how could I not give you that? Of course you can leave."

She smiled at him and pulled him into a hug, "Thanks, Brandon."

He smirked at her, "Try not to get into too much trouble over there."

She laughed, "Oh, I will. Keep in touch, okay?"

"Of course."

She turned and started to leave but Brandon stopped her.

"Flara, would you mind waiting here a minute? I need to formally eliminate you and I'm going to go get the other girls."

She nodded and Brandon left, still feeling unready for what he was about to do.

 **...**

Vivian knew something was amiss as soon as she walked into breakfast on Monday. It wasn't the dark rings under most girls eyes that their maids had tried (without success) to cover up, and it wasn't the fact that both Princess Natalie and Prince Ryan were absent. It was the silence.

The girls who were already seated were quietly picking at their food and the usual chatter that filled mealtimes was nonexistent.

It took Vivi another minute to realize the other difference: a third of the girls were gone.

Carefully she took her seat between Aurora and Tristyn, keeping quiet like the rest of the girls. The unspoken question haunted them all: would they be next? What had those girls done to get eliminated and how could the others avoid it?

Vivian tried to figure out who was gone but it was harder than she'd thought it would be. Grayson's long blonde hair was missing and Vivian couldn't hear Callista's distinctive laugh. Vivian didn't see Everly's bright hair or Mona's pretty eyes. The Selection had just gotten lonelier.

With a sigh Vivian picked up her fork and began to eat.

By the end of breakfast some conversation had filtered back in and by the time they got to the Women's Room things almost seemed normal, except they were still missing Yorra, Colleen, Ginger, and many others.

Lessons were quieter than usual but Amelia seemed to understand and didn't push the girls too hard. She let them off early and the girls all broke into separate groups, whispering together.

"How many girls are gone?" Zinnia asked worriedly.

"I think ten," Aria informed her.

"That seems like an awful lot," Ember told them.

Ember had finally come to her senses and stopped hanging out with Taylor and Vivian was glad because she was actually quite funny and great to be around.

"At least we're all still here," Vivian said.

The others nodded, feeling Callista's absence acutely since she'd been so close with all of them.

"Excuse me, miss?" A maid was standing near them, looking embarrassed to have interrupted their talk but determined to deliver her message, "This is for you," she held out a note to Zinnia and all the girls watched as her face paled.

Zinnia took the envelope, a worried look on her face but once she read it she grinned.

"What did it say?" Ember wondered.

"I'm not eliminated," Zinnia informed them, "he asked me on a lunch date." She looked happy at the turn of events and her friends were all happy for her.

"Don't you want to get ready?" Juliet asked her.

Zinnia self-consciously looked down, "Maybe I should," she stood up and smiled, "I guess I'll see you all this afternoon."

As soon as the door closed behind Zinnia, Juliet looked at Aria and the two jumped up. Vivian watched as they went to Amelia and had a hushed conversation. Their instructor nodded and the two girls faced the rest of the Selected.

Juliet looked at Aria, who nodded at her, before Juliet started speaking, "As some of you may know, Zinnia's birthday is on Friday."

A few girls chuckled at that since it was common knowledge- the brunette had been talking about her birthday for weeks. There wasn't a soul in the room who didn't know about it.

"We've been thinking," Aria started, "that it would be nice to throw her a birthday party."

"She's so excited and we know it would mean the world to her. Amelia thinks it's a great idea and a good chance for us to work on our hosting skills." Juliet informed them.

"We've made lists with everyone's assignments," Aria said, "there are four different groups- menu, entertainment, decorations, and guests. Each group has five girls except for the menu, and we'll all be working together to get it done."

"The party is on Saturday so we have a little less than a week to get it done. We were also thinking about the theme. Since it's Zinnia's golden birthday we thought most things should be in metallic colors. All of us Selected should wear silver, Zinnia can wear gold so that she can stand out, and the other guests can wear whatever metallic colors they choose." Juliet said with a smile on her face, "What do you think?"

Their announcement was met with both excitement and scorn, which was to be expected, but it seemed that for the most part the girls were happy at the chance to showcase their planning skills and for another opportunity to attend a palace event. Vivian was extremely excited because she'd had such a good time at Natalie's ball and she was sure Zinnia's would be just as good. Possibly better because she wouldn't be nearly as nervous at her friends party as she was at the princess's.

"Great," Aria said, attempting to calm down the chattering girls, "we'll come around and give you all your assignments so that you can start planning," she handed a stack of paper to Juliet who began walking around and distributing them, "it would be nice if you wanted to give her a present, but of course you don't have to. And one more thing," she said, meeting all the girls' eyes, "it's a _surprise_ party. We don't want Zinnia to know about it so keep it a secret. That means you, Shevonne."

The Indian girl scoffed and rolled her dark eyes, "I can _so_ keep a secret."

Several girls laughed at that- she was such a gossip they'd all learned better than to trust her by now- and she was met with a few good natured jabs.

She crossed her arms defiantly over her chest, "Well I can keep this one, okay?"

A few girls continued to tease her and she kept defending herself but Vivian tuned them out as Juliet handed her a piece of paper.

She looked at her assignment and frowned. She was part of forming the guest list, along with Sage, Elody, Shevonne, and Taylor. _That_ was going to be fun. Vivi knew she'd get to spend most of her time stopping squabbling because Sage and Taylor couldn't stand each other and Elody and Shevonne would just let them fight. She had a feeling that was why Juliet and Aria had put her with them. _Thanks, guys_ she thought.

She watched as they handed out the rest of the assignments, Sage looking just as thrilled as Vivian had when she got hers.

" _Seriously_?" she jumped up, brandishing the paper at Juliet, "You can't expect me to work with _her,_ " she jabbed a finger in Taylor's direction, "put me on any other committee and I won't say a word but don't make me work with that she-devil."

Before Juliet could say a word, Amelia was up, "Lady Sage," she commanded, "calm down at _once_. We are not going to switch your assignment, the three of us have spent plenty of time figuring these out. Part of a princess's job is to get along with people she may not like and if you are not capable of doing that than I suggest you leave now." With an indignant huff Sage sat back down. "And," Amelia added, "it might help you get along better with Lady Taylor if you could refrain from calling her a she-devil whilst you are working together." Sage said nothing and Amelia turned away, the matter resolved.

A few girls giggled but one stern look from Amelia silenced them immediately.

Juliet and Aria finished giving things out and made their way back to their friends.

"Thanks for putting me on entertainment," Ember gushed, "I have so many ideas!"

Juliet smiled, "We knew you would that's why we picked you for that."

"Yeah, thanks," Vivian told them sarcastically.

"Come on, Viv," Aria implored, "you're one of the most levelheaded girls here and one of the only ones who could handle working with her. We _had_ to."

Vivian sighed, "I know. But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Then here's something I think you'll like a bit more." Aria reached under her seat and rummaged around before pulling out her sketchbook and showing it to Vivian. She flipped through several pages of gorgeous gold dresses before she spoke again, "I was thinking that Zinnia might like a dress made _just_ for her so I've been working on some designs. Would you help me? I know you're a designer too and I think if we worked together it would be an incredible dress."

"That sounds great," Vivian said, forgetting all about her terrible assignment, "would this be her present?"

Aria nodded, "I think Zinnia would _love_ to be the first person to get a Thompson-Benoit original, don't you?"

"Yeah," Vivian said, flipping through the designs again with a more critical eye, "I think she would."

 **...**

 **Alright, let me know what you thought of that chapter and who you'd like to see more of coming up in the story.**

 **Here's a list of the eliminated girls from this chapter:**

 **Colleen Barrett**

 **Vanessa Waltaz**

 **Ginger Bell**

 **Everly Castle**

 **Grayson Chandler**

 **Yorra Weston**

 **Mona Hamilton**

 **Callista de la Fuente**

 **Azura Blackwell**

 **Flara Blakes**

 **Again, just because I eliminated your girl doesn't mean she's bad. I loved all of these girls and they were fun to write, I just didn't have room for them in the story. In the end most girls are going to be eliminated so don't be too upset that your girl didn't make it.**

 **I hope you guys don't hate me and will still read this story, even if your girl isn't in it anymore.**

 **Until next time!**

 **~Jen**


	34. Keep You Safe

**Hey guys! So I know this chapter is not nearly long enough, but I hope you like it anyway! It's not the most interesting but it sets up some crucial plot points for later on.**

 **Oh my gosh guys, after last chapter we hit 300 reviews! 300! When I started this story I never dreamed I'd get fifty reviews, let alone 300! You are all honestly the best reviewers I could ask for! You all seriously make my day!** XOStarbrightXO, Happygreenbirdy, wolfofstark (x4), Cookiedoodles168, 4Love4Love4, morethanjustastory, ApolloSerenity, LeaGirlWriter22, Ashley Jackson, and Guest **!**

 **There's probably going to be a few more planning chapters and then the actual party! If any of you are on Pinterest and aren't on the party board but want to be, just let me know and I'll add you!**

 **...**

Planning a party for Zinnia without letting her know was proving more difficult than the girls had first thought. With only twenty of them left it was very noticeable when five girls would disappear. Luckily Zinnia was so sweet and trusting that she bought every excuse thrown her way for the girls' absences. Some groups had an easier time sneaking around than others. Since the girls in charge of decorations had elected to have to party outside- Juliet's idea of course- they had to have several guards with them at all times and couldn't plan after dark which made things harder on them but nobody seemed to mind too much. The other groups all had an easier time and would find excuses to plan during the afternoons or evenings when Zinnia wasn't around.

The group in charge of planning the entertainment was having a great of it though. London and Ember had taken charge early on since they were Twos and had the most experience attending galas like what they were planning.

On Wednesday night their committee- Amara, Ember, Anya, Seraphina, and London- met in London's room to continue their plans for the upcoming party. Ember had already spoken with some of friends- the famous band Sunrise Somewhere- and they'd agreed to make a special performance for Zinnia's birthday. They had amazing music with lots of variety so they was sure to be a hit at the party. Ember was going to open for them and Amara had agreed to accompany her on the piano or guitar, whichever Ember chose.

"I think Zinnia will like that," Seraphina said, "she'll think it's special that you guys are performing for her."

"Yeah," Anya agreed, "it's a good idea."

"And I was thinking," London added, "that we could make a movie for her. I know that there will be cameras at the party but we could make one of us planning it and then have all the girls give her a special message or something."

"That's a cool idea," Amara said.

"Thanks," London said, beaming as she got her camera out.

She set it up so that it was facing all of them.

"Hey, Zinnia!" Seraphina said, "Right now we're planning the entertainment for your super secret surprise birthday party! I can't wait to see the look on your face when you find out what we have planned," she beamed at the camera then turned to London nervously, "Was that okay?"

"Perfect," London assured her.

"Do we really need that on the whole time?" Anya asked, pointing to the camera, "Won't it be too long?"

"Nah," London said, "I'll go edit it later, don't worry. I want to get some of the other groups too. For now we'll just leave it on and see what it gets."

Anya eyed the camera carefully, it was no secret that she had a bit of stage fright, "Alright, I guess."

"Great," London said, back to business, "so we have the music figured out and of course people will be eating and talking but I had another idea. What if we had a photo booth? Then people could take pictures together and it would be something fun to do at the party."

"That would be cool," Ember said, "People would love it! We could have if set up in the corner and program it so that the photo border is all gold and sparkly stuff. It would be an awesome souvenir."

"Yeah," Amara agreed, "it's a good idea and it won't take too much time to set up. Now we just have to figure out how we're going to get it here."

"You know," Ember told them, "I think I know a guy who could get us one."

"No way!" Anya exclaimed, "How could you possibly know someone who does that?"

Ember shrugged, "I know a _lot_ of people."

The girls giggled before moving on, "So is that everything?" London asked them.

"I think so," Amara said, "I mean, we don't really need to plan that much, right? Everyone will be talking and eating and just having fun so really just the dancing. Maybe we could make sure they do some group dances so that nobody feels left out. And of course we'll have to put a dance floor down since the party's outside."

"That won't be too hard, I mean, it's the _palace_. They probably have outside parties all the time and have something we could use. I can check on that," Sera told them.

"Great, so I guess that's everything then?" Amara asked.

"I think so," London answered, "I mean we really don't have that much to do. We just have to set up on the day of the party and that will be it. Why don't we meet here again tomorrow to check up on our progress? Right now I want to get some footage of the other groups."

"Sounds great," Ember said, hopping up and heading for the door, Anya following her.

Amara and Sera followed them, the latter exclaiming, "This is going to be the best party ever!"

 _Yeah_ , London thought _it really is_.

 **...**

"Wren?" Matthew asked, seeing the light on as he walked into their room after his late meeting, "You should be asleep, you need your rest. Do you even know what time it is?"

"Do _you_?" Serenity retorted, not tearing her eyes from the article in front of her, "I was waiting for you but then I fell asleep for a while and when I woke up you still weren't here."

Matthew sighed, "I'm sorry, love, my meeting ran later than I thought," he loosened his tie and pulled it off, discarding it on the floor while he began unbuttoning his shirt.

"I thought so but I wasn't tired anymore so I figured I might as well wait."

Matthew approached her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, "And as happy as I am to see you, you should be asleep."

Serenity rolled her sky blue eyes, "For goodness' sake, Matthew, I'm pregnant not terminally ill."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I've just had a long day and I'm stressed and-" he lost his train of thought as he caught the headline of the newspaper she was reading, "Wren, you don't need to be reading that stuff, it'll just worry you."

"Well is it _true_?" she brandished the paper at him, the words blurring as she shook it, "Are the Colonies of the South really uniting? And is it to go to war with us? And have the rebels moved west and they now have a stronghold in Kent?" She threw her questions at him like knives and with each one Matthew flinched. There was no sympathy in Serenity's voice, " _Well_?"

Without answering he sat down on the bed beside her and threw himself back, running his hands through his hair and mussing it up even more. It was enough of an answer for Serenity.

"Were you _ever_ planning on telling me?" Her tone was glacial.

Matthew didn't answer at first and when he finally did it was all in a rush, "Serenity I've spent all day in meetings talking about this and I don't know what to do. I wanted to tell you but you can't be stressed and this is pretty stressful information. I just want to keep you safe. I have so much to do and I don't know how I could go on if something happened to you."

As much as Serenity tried to stay mad she felt her anger evaporating as he stared at her with his big brown eyes.

"Matthew, you can't protect me from things like this. Keeping it from me just makes it worse. You have to know I'm going to find out, and I'd rather it be from you than the press."

Matthew sighed and put his head in his hands, "I know, Wren. I know I should have told you, but. . ."

"But what?"

"But I'm _scared_ ," his voice broke on the last word. Serenity had never before known her husband to admit to his fear. He always put on a brave face so for him to admit that he was afraid meant that something big was going on, "this isn't just some unorganized tribes coming at us. The African Union is over there uniting them."

Serenity's hand, which had been rubbing Matthew's back, froze. She knew, as did everyone else in the palace, about the African Union. They had been warring with Italy on and off for decades now over trade agreements gone wrong and land deals. Two years ago a truce had been called and the nations had been in an uneasy truce. But a few months ago rumors of another war had made their way to Illéa. The Italian monarchs had assured them that nothing had come of them, but the Illéans weren't so sure. The Africans were known for their surprise, crippling ambushes and Matthew and his father were certain that was the case this time. But Serenity had no clue what the Africans were doing on the other side of the world in the South.

"Why?" Serenity breathed.

"That's what doesn't make sense," he said, frustrated, "Dad thinks they're uniting the South in case we decide to get involved in the war. France has already pledged their allegiance to Italy and the war hasn't even started. With Nat's engagement Africa is certain that we're going to join France in supporting Italy. Having the South in their pocket is an insurance policy against us."

"So we're being _threatened_?" Serenity asked, her voice rising.

"Not outrightly," Matt told her, "since the war hasn't _technically_ even started there's no way to prove that they're doing anything wrong by being in the Southern Colonies. But honestly what else could they be up to? And that's not even the worst part."

Serenity felt the familiar pull of dread in her stomach at his words, but she steeled herself. She'd asked him to tell her and that's exactly what he was doing. She couldn't show him how shaken up she truly was.

"What is it?" she dared to ask.

"Now this hasn't been confirmed, but we're fairly certain that it's right. Nothing else makes sense."

" _What_?" she asked more impatiently.

"The Africans are funding the rebels."

Serenity was sure she'd heard him wrong, "The rebels? _Our_ rebels?"

Matthew nodded gravely, "It happened a few generations ago, with Queen America, but back then that was to help the palace. That's not the case this time. The Africans and the rebels have a deal. The Africans are funding the revolution and if the rebels can get rid of us and take over they've agreed to back Africa in the upcoming war."

"So now the rebels have even _more_ incentive to attack us."

Matthew nodded and placed a gentle hand on her belly, "That, plus the fact that they'd love to get rid of us before the next generation of Schreaves is born. I have a feeling that the attacks will be picking up."

Serenity placed her hand on top of his, "But we'll be ready for them. You figured out what they're up to and we can prepare, they won't catch us off guard. Everything will turn out alright," she leaned into her husband and he wrapped his free arm around her.

"You're probably right," he told her, "but I'm still worried. Right now you're their _biggest_ target."

"Is that a fat joke?" She ran a hand over her stomach, "Because you know this is really your fault."

He smirked at her, "No it's not, we're equal culprits."

"What part of this is _equal_?" she demanded, "I don't see you growing a human inside you."

He pressed another kiss to her head, "No, I'm not that talented."

She smiled at him, started to lay down, and asked, "Are you going to get ready for bed now? Because I'm exhausted and we have an early morning."

"That's a good point." He stood from the bed and made his way across the room, picking up his discarded tie as he went. When he got to the doorway of the bathroom he turned and looked at his wife again. She was sprawled across their bed, one hand thrown off the side, her pregnant stomach sticking out from her slim frame, blonde hair messy, and a peaceful smile on her face. Normally he would have smiled looking at her, but he knew that what he was about to tell her would take her smile away, "Wren?"

"Mmm?" she responded without opening her eyes.

"You know that school fundraiser you have scheduled for next week?"

She nodded, opening one bright blue eye, "Yes?"

He steeled himself and said, "You're not going," before turning and shutting the bathroom door behind him.

Serenity crossed the room and threw open the bathroom door faster than he'd thought she could.

Fury blazed in her eyes, "What did you say?"

"You are not going to that fundraiser. It's too dangerous right now."

"It's _always_ dangerous. That's never stopped me before," she countered.

"The stakes are higher now and you can't go out."

"I _can't_?" She demanded. It was the maddest Serenity had ever been. She wasn't sure whether it was the pregnancy hormones magnifying it or the fact that Matthew was messing with her school initiative- the project most dear to her heart. He'd never touched the schools before, that was her department and she wasn't going to let _anything_ stop her from going, "Funding for the schools has gone down lately, we had to pull from it for Brandon's Selection. These fundraisers earn the majority of the money for those children and if I'm not there the turnout will not be nearly as good. I'm going."

"No, you're not. The children will just have to get their funding another way."

"Imagine if it was your child Matthew- _our_ child. Going to school was the only education possible and it's terrible. And someone has a chance to fix it but they don't. I'm not going to do that to Illéa. I'm going to do everything I can to help these kids and _no one_ , is going to stop me! Especially not my husband who is supposed to support me!"

"It's not that I don't support you, Wren, I just don't think this is safe for you."

Serenity was seeing red. It was as if she couldn't control her anger. Her heart was pounding and she felt a twitch in her stomach.

"It's _never_ safe for me, Matthew. Standing here right now I'm in danger. But at least out there I can make some difference for kids."

"We are _not_ debating this, Serenity!"

 _Thump. Thump._

"It's not a debate if you won't even listen to me!" She felt another flutter in her stomach as she yelled.

"I just want what's best for you," he told her.

"Then why don't you let me do my _job_?" Another thump echoed in her stomach, "What is wrong with you?" she looked down, taking her anger out on her stomach. Her question was answered by another twitch.

Matthew looked at her with concern, their argument forgotten, "Are you okay?"

Then it dawned on her what was happening.

"Matt, come here."

Warily he approached her and she took his hand.

"The baby is _kicking_ ," she whispered excitedly.

She placed his hand where she'd felt the last thump and they waited. Nothing happened.

"Are you su-" before Matthew could finish his sentence he was interrupted by a little thump. Both of them gasped, "I felt it!" Matthew exclaimed, giddy, "Did you _feel_ that? It's incredible! We've got a soccer player in there for sure."

The two shared a smile, brought together by the child they had never met.

Serenity was the first to break the silence, squeezing both of Matthew's hands and saying, "I know you're worried about me, but I _can't_ skip that fundraiser."

Matthew sighed, knowing he'd met his match, "I know. I just want to make sure you're safe."

"What can I do to put your mind at ease?" she asked, then added, "Besides not go."

Matthew thought for a minute before saying, "I want you to take extra security and I'm going to transfer some of my personal guard to you for the day."

Serenity resisted the urge to roll her eyes. As long as she was going she'd take as many guards as Matthew insisted on, "Alright. Now can you finish getting ready for bed? I'm still tired and fighting always wears me out.

Matthew pulled her tight against him and pressed a kiss to her cheek, "Me too. Let's not fight anymore."

Serenity nodded and gave him a kiss in return before pulling away, "I love you."

Matthew smiled at her as she left, "Love you too."

Serenity gave him a small grin as she left the room and headed for bed, exhausted from the day, but the child growing inside her was much too excited to let her get any sleep. When it finally wore itself out Serenity laid down with a smile, picturing the reactions from her family when they discovered the new development in the morning.

 **...**

 **Ok, so not the most interesting chapter but it was still cute. Next chapter is more planning but with different characters.** **And just to be clear, the Southern Colonies that Matthew and Serenity are talking about is present day South America, not Southern Illéa.**

 **Let me know what you think of all the new developments we got in this chapter and any predictions you have for the future. For any of you guys who have characters left if you have ideas for what present they would want to give Zinnia (if they give her one), then let me know and I'll try to work it in! I hope you guys will stick with me as things start getting busier, but don't worry I'm not stopping this story even of it's a long time between updates.**

 **Love you guys!**

 **~Jen**


	35. Practice Makes Perfect

**Hey guys! I know it's been awhile since I updated but school's keeping me really busy and it'll probably be like this all year so don't expect another update anytime soon, just know that I'm** ** _not_** **abandoning this story. It just might take a while for me to finish.**

 **Thanks to all of my amazing reviewers though who helped inspire me to get this chapter out:** LadyAnj, Ashley Jackson, XOStarbrightXO, Demigod18, morethanjustastory, Cookiedoodles168, LeaGirlWriter22, and ApolloSerenity **. Your support means so much to me, guys. I know I say that every time but it's SO true!**

 **Just a heads up so you're not confused, this chapter is happening at the same time from three different POVs. It also has the scene that Lea requested when she won the contest with her awesome cover! Hopefully I did her character justice because her cover is great. Hope you like it, Lea!**

 **...**

"Alright," Juliet instructed as she watched her group spread out through the gardens, "we'll have to have a tent set up just in case the weather's bad and I was thinking that could go here," she vaguely gestured to an open spot on the lawn.

"Great," Priya said, making a note on her clipboard, "a tent would be perfect for the lights we have planned and it would look so pretty and golden all lit up."

"Golden is exactly what we're going for," Juliet smiled.

"And what about having balloons?" Tristyn put in, "We could either get gold balloons or get clear ones and put some glitter in them."

"That sounds cool. What do you think, Blaise?" Priya asked, trying to include the recluse in their group.

Blaise turned her calculating gaze to Priya, "Do you really think I care about these decorations? I'm just waiting for this party to be over."

"Well you're a part of this committee so you need to pull your weight," Priya informed her, her hands on her hips, "so which is it: clear or gold?"

"Clear," Blaise said without emotion.

"Great," Priya smiled sweetly and wrote it down on her board while Blaise glowered at her.

Juliet, trying to keep the peace said, "What about flowers?"

"Well it's in the gardens, so do we really need many flowers?" Tris asked.

"Maybe just a few," Juliet compromised, "like in the centerpieces."

"Definitely," Priya approved, "roses are always classic and maybe even some zinnias just because of the birthday girl."

"And of course most of the decorations have to be gold."

"Naturally," Shevonne called from across the garden where she was working with the rest of the guest committee.

A few girls laughed at her joke but Juliet asked, "What are you guys doing here?"

Normally she wouldn't have minded the other girls being out, but they only had two days to get their decorations figured out and today was the only time they could be outside without raising suspicions. They were already short one person since Cosmina was on a date. The guest committee really didn't _need_ to be outside, and they were ruining Juliet's planning. Tristyn and Vivian were already locked in a conversation and it looked like Elody was about to come to talk with Priya.

Priya saw the exasperation on Juliet's face and tried to console her, "It'll be fine. I've already ordered several things and there's not too much else. I've had to plan bigger things with less time, this party will be fine."

Juliet wasn't convinced though, "Just take a _short_ break, okay? Then we can work some more?" She took the clipboard and papers from Priya's hands.

"Alright," Priya promised before turning to Elody.

Juliet turned away, pressing a hand to her head trying to stop an incoming headache from listening to Taylor and Sage spat while Blaise egged them on.

Nowhere was quiet and Juliet was so distracted. Finally, she turned down one of the quiet garden paths and walked a ways before sitting down on a cool stone bench.

Even if the other girls didn't want to plan, Juliet was going to make sure the party was perfect for her best friend. She skimmed through the papers Priya had given her, looking through table decorations, light arrangements, seating charts and much more. It was all more work than Juliet had thought, but she wasn't going to let that stop her.

She felt her head throb again and pinched the bridge of her nose, hoping to quell the pain.

"Are you alright?"

Juliet jumped at the voice, sending her papers scattering. She scrambled to pick them up before the wind could send them everywhere. Not that anyone else would care if they were gone.

The reason for her startle also helped her pick up papers and placed them gently in her hands before backing up and standing a respectful distance away.

Juliet finally realized who had helped her and felt her cheeks warm in an involuntary blush.

"Hi," she said, smiling brightly and looking into his hazel eyes.

"Uh, hi," Ryan said, sheepishly scratching his head and refusing to meet her gaze. Juliet noticed the space between them and she longed for him to close it, but he remained several feet away.

They spoke at the same time.

"What are you-" Juliet started.

"I'm sorry-" Ryan said.

Juliet laughed and Ryan cracked a smile, "You first."

Juliet's blush deepened as she asked, "So what are you doing out here?"

"Oh, you know, shirking my duties, being the family disappointment, the usual. I'm actually glad I ran I to you though. I wanted to apologize."

"For?" As far as Juliet could recall, he hadn't done anything wrong, other than yell at Matthew when he'd come to help during Natalie's party.

"For how I acted at Nat's party. I wasn't in my right mind, but even so there's no excuse for what I did. I put you in danger- you could have been charged for treason- and I kissed you even though I know you're here for Brandon. I'm sorry."

"Oh," Juliet tried not to let her disappointment show on her face. So he hadn't enjoyed kissing her. He only looked at it as a drunken mistake. Which is what it _was,_ Juliet had just fooled herself into thinking there could have been more to it. She blinked away tears, not knowing where they were coming from. She shouldn't be upset over Ryan, he'd hardly even looked at her since the Selection started, but she was sad nonetheless.

Her attempts at concealing her feelings were unsuccessful and Ryan saw her tears, "It's nothing about you," he reassured her, "I was wrong in what I did. You're here for Brandon and not me so I should have respected that. I mean, we're four years apart and that's enough where I shouldn't have acted how I did. I feel like I took advantage of you and I'm sorry."

Juliet nodded, still miserable but she wanted him to get his facts straight, "We're three years apart, not four."

"What? Juliet, we're four years apart. I'm twenty one and you're only seventeen."

" _Eighteen_ ," she insisted "I'm eighteen."

"I looked at your form, you're seventeen."

"I was seventeen when I entered the Selection but I'm eighteen now. My birthday was two days ago."

"Oh," Ryan didn't know what to say but eventually he asked, "if you just had a birthday then why isn't this party for you too?"

"Because," Juliet explained, "Zinnia is my best friend here. She's been excited about her birthday for weeks. This is her day and I can't take that away from her. A party's just not as big of a deal to me as it is to her. My maids baked me a cake and we had a small celebration, that was all I really needed," she smiled as she said it, perfectly content with her choice.

"Alright," Ryan had nothing to say after that.

"I should probably get back to the others, we need to finish planning." Juliet said.

"I'll take you," he offered her his arm and escorted her back to where all the other girls were still talking.

As Juliet was about to suggest they start work again, a shrill blare interrupted her.

The girls all screamed, covering their ears against the unholy shrieking. Only Ryan looked unfazed. His grip on Juliet's arm tightened.

"Rebels," he told her.

It seemed like Blaise understood the situation, Vivian was frozen in shock, Taylor was screaming and all the other girls looked totally confused.

"Everybody, inside," Ryan ordered.

Some of the girls started toward Ryan while others seemed not to have heard him. Juliet began walking towards them to start herding girls inside. Blaise saw her coming and turned the opposite way, sprinting toward the large forest and taking the petrified Vivi with her. Sage knew how great Blaise's survival instincts were and took after her.

" _Wait_ ," Juliet called chasing after them, "You're going the wrong way!" She turned to Tristyn and Taylor, "Help me."

All three girls tried to catch Blaise and Sage but it was no use.

As Juliet took another step she felt her ankle twist beneath her. With a scream she fell to the ground. When she tried to stand her ankle buckled again. There was no way she could walk. She was trapped outside in the middle of a rebel attack. Taylor and Tristyn, oblivious to her peril, continued to chase Blaise and Sage and soon they were out of sight.

Juliet wanted to start crying. She was utterly alone and terrified. She tried to crawl away from the path but even that proved too much for her in her state. So instead of doing anything, she curled up in a ball and waited.

She didn't wait as long as she thought she'd have to. All too soon she heard footsteps coming her way. She slowly opened one eye and could have cried from relief when she saw who it was.

Standing in front of her was Ryan, Priya right by his side.

"Juliet!" He called, rushing to her, "Come on, we need to go."

"I can't," she whispered.

Ryan tried to pull her to her feet but stopped when he saw the obvious pain on her face.

"What is it?" He asked with a soft voice.

Juliet pointed to her ankle and watched as Ryan's eyes widened.

"Is it bad?" She asked.

"Nah," he lied, "it's fine." He then proceeded to examine it but stopped when she recoiled in pain.

"We need to go," Priya reminded them, "we'll look at your ankle later."

Ryan nodded and without a second thought scooped Juliet up into his arms. She gasped and grabbed at him, trying not to fall. She didn't need to worry though because his hold was strong and she was secure.

Her ankle was throbbing as Ryan carried her inside. Juliet buried her face into his chest and tried to block out the pain. She heard doors open and slam and felt the change the minute they stepped into the air conditioned palace.

Ryan raced through the halls and soon Juliet was greeted by the musty smell of the tunnels and she let herself relax, knowing they were safe.

Juliet heard the other girls all gasp as Ryan burst into the safe room but she couldn't muster up enough energy to open her eyes or speak to them. Ryan gently lowered her onto one of the hard cots.

As Juliet drifted off, she mustered up enough energy to pry her eyes open for one second. She expected to see the chaos of the safe room but instead she saw Ryan's bright hazel eyes, filled with concern, staring down at her. His presence anchored her and as she fell into unconsciousness it was with the knowledge that everything would be okay when she woke up.

 **...**

"Would you leave me alone?" Aria demanded, trying to push past Logan as she left the kitchen.

"I'm just trying to do my job," he informed her as he followed her movements with the camera, "we need before footage from the party and that's what I'm getting."

"Well do it somewhere else, I'm busy," Aria pushed him win her shoulder so that she could leave. She'd spent the past few hours in the kitchen working on the food for Zinnia's party with the rest of the committee- Kadence, Miami, and Aurora. They would eat dinner beforehand so all the girls really had to plan were the snacks and, of course, the cake. Since Miami was a waitress and had the most experience working with food and vendors she'd taken charge and the girls had the menu pretty much planned out. The kitchen knew what they wanted and they'd have it ready by Saturday. The other girls had all left but Aria had been struck by inspiration for a few finishing touches on Zinnia's dress and had to write them down before she forgot. Kadence had tried to wait for her but Aria had waved her off and told her to go.

Just as Aria was finishing her drawing though, Logan had walked through the door.

"Yeah, you look real busy," Logan told her sarcastically, gesturing to her sketchbook.

Aria rolled her eyes and stepped around him, entering the hallway. Logan followed.

"For your information, I _am_ busy. I don't have time to deal with idiots like you."

"I guess when you're busy you're not very happy," Logan told her.

"Sorry, did I hurt you're feelings when I called you stupid? I thought you already knew."

"Okay, Aria," Logan stopped her, "I get that you don't like me, but I'm just trying to do my job you don't need to be rude about it."

Aria knew he was right but she wasn't going to admit it so instead she turned and continued down the hall. But before she'd taken two steps she was interrupted by a loud siren.

She'd only heard the sound once before in her life but instantly she knew what it was. She froze mid-step in the hallway, Logan walking into her back.

While the rebel alarm caused Aria to panic, it had the opposite affect on Logan. He was spurred to action and grabbed her hand, dragging her down the hallway.

"In here," he opened a hidden room and shoved Aria in before she could protest.

The room was a third the size of the royal safe room and much barer. There were no cots, only a small sink and a bench barely big enough for three people.

"Great," Aria said sarcastically, looking around the dim room, "this is just perfect."

"At least we're safe," Logan countered, plopping down on the bench and carefully turning off his camera.

Gingerly Aria sat down on the other end of the bench and pulled her legs up against her chest, her long skirt keeping her modest. She cradled her sketchbook in her lap and opened it up to Zinnia's dress. Absently she began working on the details, humming to herself. She needed the dress to be finished that night so that she could give it to Zinnia's maids to begin sewing it.

She critically eyed her design and added a few more embellishments. She was so focused on her work that she didn't notice Logan had scooted down the bench and was watching her draw over her shoulder.

"That looks really good," he told her.

Aria jumped, "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"It's not considered sneaking when we're the only two people here and I didn't try to make it a secret."

"Well whatever it is, it's annoying," Aria slid from the bench onto the cold ground and tried to focus on her drawing again but it was impossible with Logan watching her the whole time.

After what felt like forever but had really only been a few minutes, Aria threw down her sketchbook in exasperation.

"Do you have to be so _close_?" she demanded.

"Well where would you rather have me sit?" Logan countered, "In case you haven't noticed, there isn't much space in here."

"We shouldn't even be _here_ in the first place!" Aria exploded, "I should be with the other Selected in the royal safe room and you should be. . . wherever you're supposed to be."

"I suppose that's my thanks for saving your worthless butt from the rebels?"

"You're right," Aria said sarcastically, "thank you _so much_ for bringing me to this tiny safe room so that I could be stuck with you for who knows how long."

Logan jumped up, suddenly angry, "You are _impossible_ , you know that?"

Aria smiled sweetly at him, "Being impossible is one of my best qualities."

Logan shook his head at her and muttered to himself, loud enough for her to hear, "Don't know why I even bother trying," then turned to her, "And I don't know why _you're_ complaining. Yeah, we're stuck, but at least _you_ have good company. I'm trapped with a nitwit."

Aria's tone could have frozen ice, " _Excuse me_?"

"You heard me," Logan insisted.

Aria turned a glare on him, "Why don't you just go to the door and see if it's safe to leave yet. I don't know if I can stand being in here with you for another minute."

"Works for me," Logan spat as he turned toward the door, but when he reached the handle his face paled.

"What?" Aria asked, panic in her voice.

Sheepishly Logan turned to her, "You wouldn't happen to have a key to this door, would you?"

"Please tell me you're joking."

"Nope."

"So we're _actually_ stuck? For how long? What if they can't find us?" Aria's questions came with increasing panic and she began to hyperventilate.

Logan was at her side in an instant, "It's going to be okay, Aria. You're one of the Selected girls, they're _not_ going to forget about you, they'll find us."

"How do you know?" she whispered, brown eyes full of fear.

"The palace has some of the best security on the planet, they know where all of the safe rooms are, and they'll check every room until we're found. Trust me," his green eyes were full of concern for her and she could see that he meant every word he had said. Slowly, Aria nodded.

Gently, Logan helped her off the stone ground and back onto the bench, handing her the discarded sketchbook, and sitting down next to her as a comforting presence.

"Thanks," Aria told him sincerely.

In return Logan grinned a crooked smile at her and leaned back against the wall. It was going to be a long wait.

 **…**

"No, Brandon," Cosmina giggled from beneath her helmet, "not like that."

Brandon pulled the helmet off his face, his hair sticky with sweat as he did so, "I honestly have no idea how you do this," his blue eyes were full of admiration as he told her, "it's _impossible_."

A rosy blush crept up Cosmina's pale cheeks at his praise. She was thankful he couldn't see it because of the thick fencing helmet that obscured her features.

"It's not really that hard," she said modestly, "and I've been doing it since I was little."

"I'm serious, Cosmina, fencing is difficult and you're incredibly talented at it, don't downplay your skills."

She felt her cheeks heat up again, "Thanks. Do you want to try again?"

For the past hour Cosmina had been attempting to teach Brandon the basics of fencing. Some people, like Brandon, were naturally athletic so sports came easily to them. Most people could figure out fencing pretty easily, or at least know that the pointy part was supposed to face the enemy and not yourself; however, it seemed for all his skills, Brandon had not inherited the Schreave fencing gene. He was struggling with the most basic of strikes, didn't ever know where to step, and had fallen twice in the bulky fencing suit. Cosmina had to try hard not to laugh at him. He was _trying_ and that's what counted. He had kept his promise and taken her fencing since she couldn't do it at the palace. And while her skills were by no means improving from sparring with Brandon, Cosmina felt herself smiling more than she had in a very long time.

"Let's go," Brandon told her, "I think I'm starting to get the hang of it."

Cosmina had to disagree, it had taken him the whole hour to figure out how to put his helmet back on without getting it backwards, but his enthusiasm was adorable and she couldn't say no.

She watched as Brandon put his helmet back on and got into his stance. She let him come to her and easily parried his strike. The force of her strike caught him off guard and he nearly toppled over but he caught himself and came at her with more force than before, going past her defenses and landing a strike on the middle of her chest.

"I did it!" he exclaimed, looking at Cosmina for approval. Before she got the chance to say anything though, he realized something, "Wait a minute. That was too easy. Did you let me touch you?"

Cosmina's silence was enough of an answer for Brandon. His shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Come on, Brandon, it's okay. I am a _professional_ fencer, if you were able to beat me than that would make you one of the best fencers on the planet your first time doing it, and that's not going to happen. But maybe if you practice, then someday when I'm sick or maybe blindfolded, you _might_ be able to beat me."

"You're so encouraging," he said with a grin.

She smiled back, "I know. Now this time when you come at me, keep your guard up. You can't be so focused on your attack that you forget to defend yourself. And you always go to your left, maybe try changing it up a bit to confuse me."

"I still don't think that would be enough to beat you," Brandon teased.

"Probably not," Cosmina admitted, "but it can't hurt."

Brandon walked to the other side of the mat and got into a ready position, his features obscured by the mask. Cosmina had to remind herself that _Brandon_ was under there, not some nameless opponent. She had to go easy on him.

Just as Cosmina saw Brandon prepare to attack again, a guard rushed over to him and began to talk in hushed tones.

Cosmina couldn't make out Brandon's reaction because of the mask, but there was a feeling of dread in her stomach that she couldn't dispatch.

As soon as the guard left, Brandon yanked off his helmet and dropped his sword, racing over to Cosmina. She knew instantly that something was wrong.

Brandon grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door and outside, to the car that was waiting for them.

"What's wrong?" Cosmina asked, stopping before she got into the car.

Brandon had already slid inside but he scooted over so that he could look at her, "There's been an attack at the palace. We need to go to a secure location until it's over and then we'll go back to the palace."

Cosmina got into the car and sat next to him before asking her next question, "How bad is it?"

Brandon simply shook his head, too overcome to speak. Finally, he met her gaze, "I don't know," he admitted, "but it's not good. Six girls are missing."

" _Six_?" Cosmina breathed. With only twenty girls still at the palace that was over a fourth of them unaccounted for, "Do you think-"

Brandon cut her off before she could finish, "I don't know, but I hope they're all okay."

"Me too," Cosmina said, thinking of her friends.

Without another word Brandon reached over and grabbed Cosmina's hand, holding it tight. Cosmina squeezed back, needing the reassurance just as much as he did.

The rest of the ride passed in silence, both of them dreading the news that awaited them at the palace but also desperate to know what was going on.

When the car stopped Brandon squeezed Cosmina's hand one last time before letting it go and stepping out of the car to face whatever was awaiting him.

 **...**

 **Okay so the party should be within the next two chapters. There's a poll up on my profile where you guys can vote on whose POV you want it to be from so make sure you do that. Also don't forget to leave me a review. Tell me which POV was your favorite this chapter and just any thoughts you have. Reviews make me want to write more so if you review it'll help me get the next chapter out faster.**

 **Thanks for sticking with me all of you. You're all amazing!**

 **~Jen**


	36. In The Woods

**Hey all! Hope you're having an amazing Labor Day and have enjoyed the long weekend. I had an amazing time and even managed to get a chapter written for you all! It's kind of a filler but still fun. It's leading up to the party which will be next chapter! And on that note, there's a poll on my profile. Whoever gets the most votes is guaranteed a POV next chapter so make sure you vote! I think that's everything. As always, thanks to my fantastic reviewers:** XOStarbrightXO, LeaGirlWriter22, wolfofstark, ApolloSerenity, and Cookiedoodles168 **.**

 **...**

"You've _got_ to be kidding me," Taylor screeched as she finally caught up to the other four girls, "I can't believe we are seriously lost out here."

Tristyn rolled her eyes at the blonde's antics, "No one forced you to come."

Tris flounced away from the blonde and over to where Blaise and Sage were sitting on the ground, talking in hushed voices. She wasn't too worried about being stuck out in the woods. If there was one person she could have chosen to be with her, it was Blaise. While the brunette wasn't the friendliest person, none of the girls could deny that she had the best survival skills, which is why Tris wasn't concerned about being in the woods.

"Are you sure?" Sage asked Blaise and Tris began to pay attention to what they were saying.

" _Yes_ ," Blaise sounded exasperated, "we'll be fine. There's nothing dangerous in these woods, they're part of the palace grounds. And even if there were animals, that one," she jerked her head at Taylor, "is loud enough that they wouldn't bother us. My main concern is the rebels."

Vivi, who was sitting nearby, visibly paled at those words. She was easily one of the most delicate out of the Selected and it was no secret that the rebels terrified her. Tris put a comforting hand on her back and shot her a smile. Vivi timidly smiled back.

"What do you mean?" Sage wondered.

Blaise looked like she wanted to slap someone, "I _mean_ that the rebels had to come from somewhere and they're probably going to come through _these woods_ to avoid guards, and I for one don't want to know what'll happen if they find us."

"Well then why don't we just go back to the palace?" Taylor demanded, looking ridiculous in her short dress and heels among the dirty forest.

"Great idea," Blaise told her sarcastically, "why don't you lead the way?"

"Fine," Taylor said, turning in a circle and taking a few steps before coming back and trying a different direction until finally she stomped back to the group, "well I don't know where we are," she huffed.

"Exactly," Blaise told her.

"Then how are we supposed to get back?" Taylor demanded.

"These woods are south of the palace which means we need to go north," Blaise said, "normally I could tell which way north is but these trees are so dense I can't and like I said before, we need to avoid the rebels. If we wait until night I'll climb a tree and navigate using the stars. Hopefully the rebels will be gone by then."

"So we're just supposed to wait here until night?"

"Do you have a better plan?" Sage asked.

Taylor remained silent.

"That's what I thought," Sage said smugly.

"Shut up!" Taylor snapped.

"Both of you shut it," Blaise told them, "you're gonna attract every rebel in this forest if you don't. And if you don't shut up I'm gonna leave all of you and then you can have fun wandering these woods for the next two weeks."

All of the girls were silent after that, terrified of what would happen without Blaise. Sure, none of them were particularly fond of the harsh girl but no one could deny that they needed her right now.

Without another word Blaise turned and walked away from them until she found a soft spot on the ground where she sat down, regardless of the dirt and her nice dress. She leaned back against a tree and closed her eyes, seemingly at peace for the first time Tristyn had seen her.

"Now what?" Vivian whispered.

Tris sat down right where she was, glad to get the pressure off of her aching feet, "Now, we wait."

 **...**

They didn't have to wait too long. It had been less than an hour when the girls heard the unmistakable stomping of feet through the underbrush of the forest.

Blaise was on her feet in an instant, quickly rousing the other girls and whispering, "Go, go."

Vivian jumped up, terror gripping her. But she couldn't let it control her, she couldn't slow down the other girls.

Swallowing her fear, Vivian slipped silently to her feet, taking careful steps away from the noise and towards Blaise who was motioning to her.

Carefully the girls crept through the woods, Blaise making them stop every so often to listen for their pursuers. It didn't seem like they'd been discovered and soon the girls couldn't hear the rebels anymore. Still, they were careful. Blaise moved silently through the woods, almost as if she were a part of them. Vivi, with her short stature and dark hair was almost as invisible. Tristyn was relatively quiet but her heels made walking difficult for her and she was slipping constantly. In contrast Sage and Taylor rampaged, seeming to step on every stray twig and fallen leaf. It was like they were trying to make as much noise as possible. They also looked different from the other girls. Sage's vibrant hair was a stark contrast to the forest around her and Taylor's sparkly dress shone even with the dim sunlight they had. Plus the two girls couldn't go more than ten feet without snapping at each other, usually about who was being louder. For the most part Vivi ignored them, following closely behind Blaise and leaving Tristyn to quell the squabbling.

Every so often the girls would hear other people moving around but Blaise was careful to keep them away and did all sorts of things to cover their tracks. It was the worst hours of Vivi's life and she thought they would never end, but finally the sun began to set.

Blaise declared it safe enough for the girls to rest and they all collapsed gratefully. Sage's stomach let out a loud growl and Tristyn barked out a laugh.

"What? I skipped lunch, I'm _starving_ ," Sage defended herself which just made Tristyn laugh harder. Soon all the girls, even Taylor, were laughing hysterically even though nothing was that funny. Vivian was pretty sure it was because they were all so tired and the adrenaline from the afternoon had finally worn off.

"I'm not hungry," Taylor said, "but I'd kill for a glass of water."

While Vivi thought Taylor wasn't exaggerating, she had to agree. Her tongue stuck to the dry roof of her mouth and she was sure no matter how much chapstick her maids gave her, her lips would stay cracked for weeks.

Just when Tristyn opened her mouth to contribute Blaise cut her off, "Alright that's enough. We'll be back at the palace soon enough so you can all stop complaining," then without another word Blaise stood up from the ground and began walking, the other girls all scrambling to keep up with her.

"Who died and made you the boss?" Taylor said.

Vivian thought Blaise was going to rip Taylor to pieces but instead she just said, "Find your own way back, I'm done dealing with you."

Taylor's mouth dropped open in shock, "You can't just leave me out here!"

"Watch me."

"But I could die."

"Then I suggest you keep your mouth shut the rest of the time we're out here," then Blaise turned away and swung herself up into a tree, making it look as easy as if she did it everyday.

Vivian watched as Blaise shimmied up the tree until she was out of sight.

She was gone for longer than Vivian thought necessary for someone as experienced as Blaise, but Vivi also thought she might just be using it as an excuse to avoid the chaos that was waiting for her on the ground.

Finally the girls heard the rustle of leaves as Blaise descended the tree, jumping from one branch eight feet up and landing nimbly on the balls of her feet in front of the group.

"North is that way," she pointed then turned and began walking without checking if the other girls were following or not.

Vivian hurried to catch up, not wanting to be stuck outside by herself at night. It seemed like they walked for hours, all in silence, but finally the trees began to thin out and Vivi thought she caught sight of light. After a bit more the trees stopped entirely and the girls were met with the sight of the palace at night, lit up like a fairytale.

"It's amazing," Tristyn breathed.

"Yeah," Vivi agreed.

"It's so pretty," Sage added.

"It doesn't matter what it looks like," Blaise said, "we just need to get inside."

And so they trudged on.

 **...**

"Your Highness."

Brandon looked up at the door the second the words had left the guard's mouth.

He'd been pacing his study for the last few hours, feeling utterly useless and miserable. He hadn't been able to comfort any of the girls during the attack and once they were let out of the safe room he'd been bombarded with questions about the missing girls and hadn't had a chance to catch his breath.

Guards had been scattered all over the palace, intent on finding the missing girls. Aria was discovered in one of the staff safe rooms. She was a bit shaken up but otherwise unharmed. Logan had been with her and Brandon trusted the young photographer and was grateful he'd kept her safe. The other five girls were still missing. Juliet, whose ankle was badly sprained during the attack, had said the other girls had fled and were somewhere on the palace grounds. Groups of guards had been looking for them for hours but with no success whatsoever.

But now, a guard stood at the door, waiting for Brandon's response before he could speak. Brandon wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the news, he was fearing the worst, but he had to know.

"Are they okay?" he gasped.

The guard nodded quickly, "They've just returned. They're downstairs in the kitchen."

"Did the guards find them?" Brandon asked.

"No, they came by themselves. The guards are still out in the forest, but they're on their way back."

"Thank you," Brandon told the guard before walking past him into the hallway.

The second the guard was out of sight Brandon broke into a sprint, racing through the hallways regardless of whether or not he was waking people up.

He took the stairs two at a time, nearly falling several times in his rush.

When he got to the kitchen however, he hesitated. He wasn't sure if the girls would want to see him. After all, it was his fault they'd spent the majority of the day trapped outside hiding from rebels. And it was his fault they were in the palace suffering attacks anyway. Eventually though, he plucked up his courage and swung the kitchen door open.

Despite the late hour, the kitchen was bustling. It wasn't the usual flurry of people and activity that it was during the day, but Brandon was shocked by how many people were still there. He looked around at the cooks busy working, the servants doing dishes, and the maids hustling by. His inspection stopped however when he caught sight of the five Selected girls sitting together in a corner shivering.

While Angles wasn't anywhere near freezing it couldn't have been fun to spend so many hours outside at night, and especially not in the thin dresses the girls were all wearing.

Brandon watched them for a minute. They were all perfectly at ease, chatting and laughing together with warm mugs in their hands and empty plates in front of them. No one had spotted Brandon yet and he wasn't sure if he should interrupt their comradery. He was ready to leave when he heard his name.

He looked up and saw Sage waving him over, her bright hair in disarray after the long day she'd had.

Brandon walked over to them, very unsure of himself and what to do.

"Um," he mumbled, looking at his feet, "I'm glad you're all okay. I was worried about you."

Brandon wasn't sure if he'd said the right thing, but based on the girls' reactions he thought it was fine. They all thought his concern was sweet, but it really was genuine.

"You didn't have to come check on us," Taylor said, batting her eyes at him.

"Of course I did. It's my fault that happened to you and I wanted to make sure you didn't need anything."

"They've taken good care of us," Tristyn told him, "it was rough for a while but since we've been back everything has been great."

"I'm glad to hear it," Brandon said, "and if you ever need _anything_ don't hesitate to let me know."

"Thank you," Vivian told him softly with a bright smile.

She was easily one of the most delicate in the Selection and Brandon had been distraught when he'd learned she was out in the forest.

Brandon gave her a smile before turning it to the rest of the girls. They looked him expectantly and Brandon wasn't sure what to do. Thankfully, Tris made the decision for him.

She placed her empty mug on the table and stood up. She walked over to Brandon and wrapped her arms around him. Brandon was a bit shocked but he hugged her back anyway. Usually Tristyn was so strong. It unnerved Brandon to feel how frail she was in his arms. He held her for a minute longer before pressing a kiss to her cheek and letting her go.

As soon as Brandon released her Tris squeezed his hand and exited the kitchen, on her way up to her room after the long day.

Sage was the next one to leave and Brandon held her for a bit, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Sage was so small but Brandon knew she could hold her own in any situation. When she was with him though, he sometimes forgot how tough she was and wanted to protect her.

Blaise was not a touchy person, which Brandon knew. The two had never really connected but Brandon still had hope of getting to know her. She was definitely the most independent of the Selected and Brandon hadn't had to worry about her at all that day because he knew she could handle herself.

When she got up to leave Brandon didn't try to hug her, but she did grant him a firm handshake which was the most contact they'd had during their time together.

When Taylor hugged him, Brandon couldn't help how his heart sped up. There was just something intoxicating about Taylor on a purely physical level. She fit perfectly in his arms and Brandon was acutely aware of every inch of her skin that was touching him. Still, when she leaned up and tried to capture his lips Brandon turned away. He wasn't ready for what kissing her would entail and he wasn't sure if he ever would be.

She looked a bit stung at his rejection so he pressed a kiss to her cheek before turning to the last Selected girl.

Vivian met Brandon's gaze but waited until the sound of Taylor's heels had faded before she launched herself into his arms.

Brandon staggered back under her assault, not expecting the tiny girl to be so strong. When he finally caught his balance he pulled Vivi against him, shocked to find her trembling.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, forcing her dark eyes to meet his.

Slowly she nodded, then buried her face in his chest. Brandon didn't force her to talk, he just held her.

Finally she looked at him, "That was one of the worst days of my life."

"I know," Brandon said, pulling her close again, "I'm so sorry."

"I was so scared," she admitted, "but the whole time I was worried about you too. I just kept hoping that you were okay and nothing had happened to you."

"You don't have to worry about me. It's my job to worry about _you_."

"But what if something had happened?" Vivi wondered.

"But it didn't. You don't have to worry," Brandon promised her, "I'm not going anywhere, I'll always be here for you."

Vivian nodded but didn't look totally convinced, "It was just awful."

"I know, Vivi, but I'll make sure nothing like that _ever_ happens to you again."

Vivian pulled Brandon in for another hug and said, "Thank you."

All Brandon could do was smile and lean down to kiss Vivi's cheek. Then, when she had calmed down a bit he took her hand and started leading her out of the kitchen.

They reached Vivian's room and Brandon let go of her hand.

"Thanks for checking up on me."

Brandon smiled, "Of course, make sure you stay safe tonight."

"I will," Vivi told him, "goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Brandon made his way back to his room feeling conflicted. He'd thought the elimination would have made things easier for him but instead he was more confused than ever. When the girls had been missing Brandon had been worried about each of them. One didn't stick out to him more than the others which was good and bad. Brandon had thought that lowering the number of girls would make it easier for him to get to know them and figure out who he was meant to be with, but instead it just made it harder for him to let them go. There were twenty girls left in the competition and Brandon didn't know how he would ever get it down to just one.

 **...**

 **Alright guys, I know that chapter was kind of boring, but the next one won't be! It'll be jam-packed with stuff so I hope you're as excited as I am! Don't forget to vote on the poll if you want a certain POV next chapter. Or tell me in the reviews and I'll consider those too.**

 **I hope you guys didn't mind this chapter but leave me a review and let me know. Even if you don't have a character in it, if you read and enjoy my story please let me know. It means a lot to me and helps me write faster if I know people actually care :).**

 **Summer's pretty much over now so I'm wishing you all a great fall!**

 **~Jen**


	37. Party Time

**It's finally here! This chapter is the party! It's longer than my usual updates (over 5,000 words!) and I thought about splitting it up, but I think this flows better all being in one chapter. For those of you who voted it was a tie between London and Zinnia so both of those girls will have a POV this chapter.**

 **Thanks so much to my amazing reviewers, this chapter is for you guys: jess120, LeaGirlWriter22, XOStarbrightXO, morethanjustastory, Cookiedoodles168, ApolloSerenity, and wolfofstark.**

 **There's a lot going on in this chapter, but I hope you all like it!**

 **...**

Zinnia waited while her maids put the finishing touches on her hair and makeup. It was without a doubt the fanciest she had looked in her entire life. Fancier than her first Report, fancier than her dates with Brandon, even fancier than how she had looked for Natalie's birthday.

Her maids had spent hours making sure not a hair on her head was out of place. Two braids twined around her the top of her head, giving the impression of a crown while the rest of her long chestnut hair was styled in perfect ringlets that her maids had swept off one shoulder. Her makeup was spotless and bolder than Zinnia was used to, but she thought it suited her. She had bold eyeliner, smoky eyeshadow, tons of mascara and bright red lips. It was a look completely different from anything she'd ever had, but she was seventeen now and maybe it was time for her style to mature as well.

"Why am I so dressed up?" Zinnia asked them, "it's just dinner, nothing special."

"It's your birthday, miss," her head maid told her, "you need to shine."

"Okay then," Zinnia agreed. She was always up for shining and she had been looking forward to her birthday since the Selection started.

"Great."

Her maids shared a link conspiratorial glance before hustling to her closet and emerging with a garment bag.

"What is this?" Zinnia exclaimed, her curiosity getting the best of her, "You didn't have to do this for me."

"Of course we did!" her youngest maid exclaimed, "Don't you want to see it?"

"Absolutely!" Zinnia was practically bouncing she was so excited about it.

When her maids opened the bag Zinnia gasped so loudly one of her maids jumped. The dress was _spectacular_. It shimmered in the light from her room, every inch covered in sparkling gold beads. The shimmering golden fabric fell to the floor and Zinnia was sure she had never seen a prettier dress in her life. Her maids slipped it over her head and Zinnia marveled at her reflection. The golden dress had a deeper V-neck than anything Zinnia had ever worn, but it wasn't tacky. The sleeves went past her shoulders but draped down much lower, swinging anytime she moved. The fitted waist accentuated Zinnia's curves and the golden color paired with her Brazilian skin and radiant smile gave the effect that she was truly glowing. She thought that nothing could make her happier.

"This is perfect," she told her maids, beaming as she spun in front of the mirror, making the thousands of sparkles on her dress shimmer.

"You have to wear gold on your golden birthday," one of her maids said.

"Thank you," Zinnia said, grabbing all of her maids and crushing them in a hug, "I know that tonight is going to be amazing."

"I'm sure it will be, miss."

A knock sounded on the door before Zinnia could respond. Her maids whisked the door open and standing in front of her was Brandon. He looked dashing in his suit and Zinnia couldn't help but notice that his tie matched the exact shade of gold as her dress.

"This is a surprise," Zinnia told him, "what brings you here?"

"I heard a rumor that today is your birthday. I couldn't let you go to dinner all by yourself."

A blush worked its way up Zinnia's cheeks and she took his offered arm without a word.

"So how has your birthday been so far?" Brandon asked her.

"Pretty good," Zinnia told him, "though every day here is good. I haven't done anything special today but it's been great. I just hope we're having cake for dessert tonight."

Brandon smiled at her, "You know, I think I could have that arranged."

They continued their walk to the dining room but when they got to the first floor Brandon veered off to the side.

"It's such a nice night, do you want to take a walk through the gardens before dinner?" he asked her.

"Sure!" Zinnia told him as he opened the door for her.

Brandon led her through the sprawling gardens, full with the last blooms of summer. Zinnia inhaled deeply, smelling the mixture of fresh air and fragrant flowers.

"I don't think I've ever had a better birthday," Zinnia told him as they leisurely strolled through the flowers.

"I'm glad to hear it," Brandon said with a smile.

They kept walking and faintly Zinnia could make out a few strands of music.

"Do you hear that?" she asked.

"Hmmmm," Brandon told her, "let's go check it out."

As they walked, the music got louder and louder until they rounded a corner. The usually empty field was now full. A sprawling tent filled the field, and it was full of shimmering floating lights that lit up the golden inside of the tent. Tables were laden with sparkling cloths, and golden light reflected off of every surface. In the middle of each table sat a golden vase filled to the brim with zinnia flowers and shimmering balloons hung from every surface. At the front of the tent a small stage was set up with a dance floor on the grass in front of it.

In the midst of all the gold Zinnia spotted a flash of silver that stood out.

Vivian, looking spectacular in a one-shoulder sparkling silver gown waved at Zinnia and Zinnia grinned back at her friend, confused but happy. She then spotted Aria, who looked stunning in a silver drop-waisted gown with a slight v-neck and thousands of glittering embellishments. Aria gave Zinnia a wide smile, looking delighted at her friend's shock.

Zinnia glanced around one more time before turning to Brandon with shining eyes, "What is this?"

In response Brandon grinned and pulled her towards the party, "Surprise."

 **...**

Seraphina watched as Zinnia's face lit up when she realized the party was for her. All the stress from the past week melted away as Sera saw the utter joy on the younger girl's face as she looked at everything they had done for her.

Everyone in the room watched as Brandon led her out onto the dance floor and the band started playing.

Even though Sera had been part of the committee that chose the entertainment, she had to admit that the band was good. As soon as they finished the first song for Brandon and Zinnia, they gave the stage to Ember and Amara who gave a rousing version of happy birthday that left Zinnia almost in tears. Throughout it all, London was there with her camera, getting all of Zinnia's reactions and lots of shots of the other girls and special messages they had for Zinnia.

London came to Sera and Seraphina grinned at her friend.

"Any message for the birthday girl?" London said with a grin.

Sera smiled back and adjusted the silver draping on the back of her glittering gown as she looked at the camera, "I hope this night is everything you thought it would be, Zinnia. It's been a blast planning it all and I hope you have the time of your life!"

London shook her head admiringly at Sera, "You are _such_ a natural in front of the camera. It took me years to stop being nervous. I don't know how you do it."

Sera shrugged modestly, not sure how she stayed calm either, it was just who she was.

"Put the camera down, London. Let's go dance!"

"Alright," London said.

She reluctantly put down her camera and joined Sera as the band started up a fun, fast paced song that everyone could dance to.

On their way to dance Sera grabbed Kadence, who was talking with Cosmina, and the two followed them onto the dance floor.

The girls got into a circle and took turns seeing who could come up with the most ridiculous moves as they all laughed more and more. Soon their group had grown even more to include Aria, Tristyn, and Vivian.

Tristyn grabbed a golden flute of champagne from a passing waiter and downed it in one gulp.

All the girls stared at her but she just gave a cheeky grin and said, "What? I used to work at a bar. I learned some things there."

The girls laughed and continued their crazy dancing. Sage jumped up on stage with the band and attempted to teach everyone a line dance that she knew, but for Sera it just ended up with her tripping over her own feet and running into all the other girls.

Finally with another laugh, Sera had to call it quits and go sit down for a breather.

"I'll come with you," Cosmina volunteered, "I need to find Zinnia so I can give her her present anyway."

"What did you get her?" Kadence asked.

Cosmina displayed a gorgeous jewelry box that she'd been carrying with her all night and opened it up for the other girls to see.

"It's a charm bracelet. I picked out each charm myself and it has a special meaning," she pointed to a dainty silver cake with a candle in it, "this one is because it's her birthday. The crown is because we met during the Selection, the family charm is because all of us Selected are a family, the sword is because-"

"Wait, wait, wait," London demanded, "I want you to explain all of those in front of the camera so I can add it to my video."

London practically dragged the brunette away but Cosmina seemed excited to get to talk about her present.

"Come on," Kadence said, linking arms with Seraphina, "I'm _so_ thirsty, let's go get something to drink."

"Alright," Sera agreed, "but if it's not good I'm going to have to have a serious discussion with the refreshment committee."

Kadence rolled her eyes since Seraphina knew that Kady had been in charge of the drinks, "Trust me, it'll be good."

 **...**

Juliet sat in a chair at the edge of the dance floor, watching as her friends all had fun without her. She knew she shouldn't feel bad, Vivian had offered to stay with her but Juliet had declined the offer. She didn't want her friend to be bored but Juliet also didn't want to be stuck sitting on the sidelines while everyone else danced the night away.

 _Stupid ankle_ she thought, giving the offending limb a dark look.

Of all the nights to have a sprained ankle of course she would have it tonight. Tonight was all about having fun. There were no royal guests to impress, no expectations, no stiff waltzes, it was all fun and Juliet had to miss it.

She would have given anything to be out on the dance floor. This was her element, she was a _dancer_ for goodness sake. All of her friends were fine dancers, and they were having fun, but Juliet knew that she could have blown them away. She was graceful and beautiful when she danced and she knew that if she was out there everyone would be able to see that, but she couldn't be out there because her stupid ankle had to get sprained.

Juliet knew there were much worse things that could have happened to her than a sprained ankle, but at that moment her ankle felt like the end of the world.

Juliet looked at the dance floor and saw Aria dancing with a handsome guard, laughing as he spun her around to the fast music. Zinnia was with Brandon again, the only girl he'd danced more than once with. Aurora and Kadence were talking together as they casually danced over by the refreshment table. The person who made Juliet's heart ache the most though, was Ryan.

He was dancing with Miami, both of them smiling as they flew through the steps, perfectly in time. Juliet felt the pull of envy in her stomach as she watched the older girl with Ryan. Miami was so mature, she looked striking in her silver dress with her gorgeous blonde hair swept up. She was perfect for Ryan and Juliet knew it. Ryan wouldn't feel like he was taking advantage of Miami when they were together. She was everything Juliet wasn't and Juliet couldn't help but compare herself to the other girl.

The song ended and Juliet snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She spun around and found herself staring into the warm brown eyes of her best friend.

"Zinnia!" Juliet exclaimed, attempting to stand.

Zinnia helped her friend, trying to support some of Juliet's weight to make it easier.

"I'm told I have you to thank for this party," Zinnia said.

"And Aria. It was both of our ideas."

"Well it's _amazing_. I'll never be able to repay you guys."

Juliet laughed, "You don't have to _repay_ us, this is what friends do for each other."

Zinnia smiled, blinking tears out of her brown eyes as she pulled Juliet into a hug, "Thank you so _so_ much."

Juliet returned the hug then reached down to grab her crutches, "Come on, we have another surprise for you."

"I don't know if I can handle it," Zinnia said seriously but she followed Juliet anyway.

Juliet took Zinnia out of the tent and into the dark gardens, where they could talk better but the lighting was terrible.

"What is it?" Zinnia asked, "I don't see anything- Ahhhh!" She screeched as she was grabbed from behind by an unknown person who was hiding in the bushes.

"Surprise!" the blonde girl squealed.

"Oh my gosh! _Kimber_!?" Zinnia whipped around, crushing the girl in a hug, "But- How- What-"

Zinnia couldn't form a complete thought which made Kimber laugh as she explained, "We were some of the only people to receive actual invitations. The whole family got invited so _of course_ we were going to come. Everyone else is inside if you want to see them."

"I'd love to," Zinnia said, still overcome with emotion, "I still don't understand how you're here though."

Juliet thought she should intervene to clear up her friend's confusion, "We had committees to plan this and one of them was to pick the guests. We knew you wouldn't want a room full of people you didn't know so we made sure to invite the Carmichaels since you know them. And we didn't just invite Twos, we had drawings for the tickets so that people of all castes from all over the country could come. Some people sold their invites so there are more Twos than anything else, but lots of the guests are lower caste as well."

"Juliet, that's amazing," Zinnia told her before Kimber grabbed her arm and they made their way back into the party.

Juliet knew she should go back but she didn't want to have to watch everyone else have fun when she couldn't join them. Instead she took a seat on a concrete bench and admired the twinkling lights of the party.

It wasn't long before Juliet heard the telltale sound of footsteps on the path, coming toward her. She expected it to be Zinnia or VI in, wondering where she was, but instead when she looked up she saw Ryan striding towards her, his silver tie practically glowing in the moonlight.

"Hi," he said, stopping a few feet in front of her.

Even though Juliet knew how Ryan felt about her, she couldn't help the jump her heart gave as she looked at him.

"Hey," she said with a smile.

"That's some party you planned," he told her.

"Thanks," she said, "I just wish I could enjoy it more."

"Is that why you're out here all by yourself instead of enjoying your hard work?"

Juliet felt her cheeks heat up and was glad the darkness hid them. It was embarrassing to hear out loud that she was hiding so instead Juliet didn't answer.

"Scoot over," Ryan said, motioning to her crutches that were blocking the bench.

As soon as she moved them and scooched he plopped down beside her, leaning back and closing his eyes as if he were perfectly at peace. Juliet stayed silent, not wanting to disturb him.

Finally Ryan opened his eyes, seeming surprised that she was still there.

"Are you okay?" Juliet asked.

"I'm great," he told her, reaching into his suit coat and pulling out a small box, tied with a bow, "this is for you by the way."

"For what?"

"For your birthday," Ryan said as if she were dumb, "you can't get no presents for your birthday, even if you don't celebrate it."

"Thank you," Juliet said, staring at the package feeling incredibly touched. It seemed so out of character for Ryan to do something like that.

"Aren't you going to open it?" he said, almost giddy with excitement.

With a smile Juliet untied the bow and opened the lid of the box, her breath stopping.

She stared into the box and pushed it at Ryan, "I can't accept this," she told him.

"Of course you can, it's a _gift._ "

"It's too much," she told him.

"It is not," he assured her, pulling the silver necklace out of the box.

Juliet stared at it as it dangled from his hand. Even in the dim light the necklace sparkled. It was a silver pair of ballet flats, the laces tied together in a perfect bow. The tips of the shoes and the insides were all covered with sparkling diamonds that were probably worth more than Juliet's entire house. It was absolutely amazing.

"Ryan, I can't believe you got me this."

"Do you not like it?" Ryan sounded worried, "I can get you something else if you want."

"It's perfect, Ryan," she assured him, "I _love_ it. It's just way too much."

"Well it's your only present so it should be nice."

Juliet could tell there was no way he would take the necklace back so she smiled at him and said as sincerely as she could, "Thank you."

"Do you want to try it on?"

Juliet nodded and Ryan unclasped the necklace. He pushed Juliet's bright hair to the side and put the necklace on her. It matched her silver dress perfectly.

"Thank you," she said again, beaming at Ryan.

"You ready to go back to the party?" Ryan asked.

Juliet looked at the hand Ryan extended to her then grabbed her crutches with a smile, "Yeah, I think I am."

 **...**

London was having the time of her life. She thrived on being with people and interacting with them so going around interviewing the party guests was a blast for her.

Everyone was having a great time and London felt a surge of pride when she saw how popular her photo booth was with people. The band sounded great so London was happy she'd been part of the committee that had picked them. Actually, _everything_ was great. Nothing was going poorly and everyone there seemed to be having a good time, especially Zinnia.

London saw Kadence in the corner and went up to her friend, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just kind of tired," she said with a yawn, "they're going to cut the cake soon and I want to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"You work too much," London said, grabbing a flute of champagne and shoving it into Kadence's hand, "you need to learn how to relax."

Kadence rolled her eyes but took a sip of the drink anyway, making London smile.

"Come on," London pulled on her friend's arm, "let's go dance. I bet there's a cute guard you could dance with, that would _definitely_ help you relax," she teased.

"Oh yeah, well there's a cute prince who wants to dance with you," Kadence teased back.

"Whatever," London said turning to look back at Kadence and running smack into Brandon as she did so.

Kadence giggled and said, "Told ya," before hurrying off to give her friend privacy.

"I'm so sorry," London apologized.

"It's fine," Brandon said with a smile, "I was just wondering if you wanted to dance."

"I would love to."

Brandon took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor. It wasn't really a couples song since the music was so fast but several people were making it work anyway.

Elody was dancing with a handsome brunette who London recognized from Natalie's party and Aurora was being spun in circles by a blonde guard. Matthew and Serenity were together, acting as if it were a slow song just for them. They looked out of place among all the fast moving people but they didn't seem to care.

Brandon confidently put his hand on London's waist and began to spin her to the music. London was a pretty good follower but she had some difficulty keeping up with Brandon. He led her through turns and steps that she'd never done before. He even lifted her by the waist a few times. At the end of the song Brandon lifted her and spun and London couldn't help but laugh.

"I thought you only knew waltzes, I didn't know you could dance like that," she teased him.

"There's a lot about me you don't know."

"Like what?" London giggled.

"You'll just have to wait and find out."

London fake pouted at him but smiled when he leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek. As she stared into the bright blue eyes of the boy she'd come to care so much for, she knew that she wouldn't mind waiting. Not one bit.

 **...**

Aria laughed as she listened to Sage tell another story her crazy brothers from back home. The redhead was hilarious anyway but tonight she'd had a bit too much to drink and she just couldn't stop laughing, which in turn made Aria laugh.

"Let's do something _crazy_ ," Sage suggested, pulling on the taller girl's arm.

Aria raised an eyebrow, "Like what?"

"I don't know. But this party needs some livening up."

The party was already plenty lively but Sage just needed somewhere to put her energy. The younger girl hadn't been the same since her best friend Everly went home and Aria felt bad for her. She didn't know what she'd do without Juliet and Vivian. Even if Kadence left Aria would be completely lost.

"I think you livened it up already," Aria said, referring to when Sage had taught several group dances that resulted in everyone running into each other but having fun nonetheless.

"I did, didn't I?" Sage seemed proud of herself but her smiled faded when she caught sight of Taylor walking past. The redhead's eyes narrowed and she called out loudly, "But some people didn't _appreciate_ it." Sage raised her hand and Aria knew she was going to flip off the blonde girl.

Aria caught Sage's arm and pulled on it, "Let's put that down before someone sees it."

Along with London filming there were several other cameras roaming around, some from the palace and others for various television channels who wanted the latest on the palace gossip and Aria didn't want Sage to end up on the news.

"I know!" Sage exclaimed, "Let's dance."

She took off before Aria could answer so Aria was left to follow behind her friend and watch as Sage seamlessly joined a group of Selected who were dancing.

Aria didn't feel like joining them so she walked around until she found an empty seat with a view of the dance floor. She plopped down and slumped in her seat in a very unladylike manner. She watched all of her friends dance with a small smile on her face.

She jerked upright when she heard a chair being pulled out next to her. She prayed it wasn't Amelia, ready to chastise her for slouching. Instead when she looked up she saw Logan's green eyes staring at her.

"Hey," he said as he sat down.

"Hey," Aria said back.

They sat in silence for a minute as each of them watched the dancers.

"You don't want to be out there?" He asked, pointing to the Selected who were grouped together dancing.

"Please," Aria told him, "do you think I could keep up with _that_?" She pointed to where Shevonne and Ember were dancing with endless enthusiasm despite the late hour.

"You're right," he said with a smile, "what was I thinking?"

Aria decided that now was a good time to tease him, "What about you? Nobody would ask you to dance?"

Logan smirked, "Oh, I've been asked. It just wouldn't be fair for me to go out there. I'm so good everyone else would look bad by comparison."

"Yeah, right," Aria snorted, "I bet you're terrible."

"I'm actually quite good."

"I don't believe you."

"I don't have to prove anything to you," Logan told her.

"That's because I'm right."

"You are not," Logan stood up, "you think you know everything, but you're wrong this time."

Aria hadn't expected him to get so worked up. She was just kidding.

Logan grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"I'm going to show you," he said, leading her out onto the dance floor.

"You really don't have to-" she started.

"You asked," he told her.

Aria had to admit Logan was an incredible dancer. As soon as the song started he knew exactly what to do and Aria was all too aware of everyone's eyes on them as they danced. People cheered as Logan spun her all around the dance floor in a series of turns and lifts that were each more complicated than the last.

Aria actually found herself enjoying the dance and laughed as Logan grabbed her waist and flipped her in a complicated move.

When the music finally slowed Aria had a chance to catch her breath.

"You _are_ good," she said with a smile.

Logan gave her a smug look and said, "I know."

Aria laughed at him and he pulled her into a dip, pretending to drop her. Aria shrieked and grabbed at his neck, trying to keep her balance.

Logan chuckled and met her shining eyes with his own smile. They looked at each other, neither saying anything. Finally, Logan pulled her out of the dip and opened his mouth just as Aria felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned, expecting one of her friends but instead was met with Taylor's blue eyes and fake smile.

"Can I cut in?" she asked sweetly.

Aria froze, her smile dropping from her lips. It took her a few seconds to realize she hadn't answered Taylor.

"Oh, uh, sure," she said, removing her hands from Logan's.

She turned to leave and heard Logan say, "Aria, wait," but she didn't listen.

Aria pushed through the people on the dance floor until she got to the edge. She turned around and saw Logan dancing with Taylor, holding the blonde girl close and laughing at something she said.

Aria tried to get rid of the hurt she felt from seeing them together. _She_ was the one who had let Taylor dance with him. She just supposed part of her had expected Logan to come after her and since he hadn't she was hurt. But that was ridiculous. Why would _Logan_ care what she was doing? As far as she was concerned he could dance with whatever girl he wanted.

Still, she felt a stab of envy as she watched Taylor lean up and whisper in Logan's ear. The thing Aria couldn't understand was why she cared so much. It shouldn't bother her that Logan was dancing with Taylor. She was there for _Brandon_. Brandon was cute and he was sweet and he cared about Aria but he just didn't make her feel how Logan did. Aria _should_ like Brandon. He'd done nothing to make her dislike him but her heart just didn't love him. Why were feelings so confusing?

Slowly Aria made her way out of the tent, trying not to be noticed by anyone. When she got out she let her smile drop and felt tears prick in her eyes. She knew she shouldn't care, but she did.

She stood in the shadows and let her tears fall silently down her cheeks. After a while she heard footsteps coming her way and someone called her name softly.

She recognized Logan's voice and tried to wipe the tears from her face so he wouldn't know she'd been crying.

He called out to her again and this time Aria answered, "What do you want?" Her voice was wobbly and she tried to strengthen it, "Shouldn't you be at the party, dancing with the other girls?"

"Is that what you're upset about? You're the one who let her dance with me. You could have just said no."

"You could've too," Aria snapped, then added, "and I'm not upset."

"Could've fooled me," Logan said, stepping closer, then he seemed to realize what it really was, "Wait a minute. Are you _jealous_?" he sounded incredulous, "If one of us should be jealous, it's me. Everyday I have to watch you and I never get to be with you. I never get to say anything about how I feel because it's against the law. You are with a _prince_ , there's no possible way I could compete with that. He can give you everything, I never even stood a chance. If one of us gets to be jealous, it's _me_."

"Just leave me alone," Aria said halfheartedly. She knew she didn't mean it and Logan knew too.

"Why do you push everyone away?" Logan asked as he took another step toward her, "Why don't you _ever_ let anyone care about you?"

The tears returned to Aria's eyes, "Because whenever I let someone in they just end up leaving and then I'm worse off than before. If nobody cares then I won't get hurt," she whispered the confession, ashamed of herself.

Logan was standing right in front of her and he gently brushed a strand of hair out of her face, "Not everyone is going to hurt you."

"You don't know that. You don't know what's going to happen, nobody does."

"You're right, I don't know for sure, but sometimes you just have to try anyway."

And with those words he leaned down and kissed her like he'd wanted to for so long. At first Aria was shocked but then she kissed him back. She melted into the kiss, letting all of her worries go and only focusing on the pressure of her lips against Logan's.

Logan could taste her tears and he deepened the kiss, trying to make them stop. Aria's hands found their way up Logan's back and locked into his hair, pulling him closer. As soon as she did that Logan pulled her to him, crushing every inch of space between them.

Aria kissed him back with everything she had and for the first time in her life she felt utterly safe. She _knew_ at that moment that nothing would ever make her feel better than kissing Logan did. For the first time in her life she knew exactly what home was and she knew she'd found it. She kissed him and tried to pull him even closer, and for a few minutes, everything was perfect; then a flash of light from the tent interrupted them and the party exploded.

 **...**

 **I know, I'm mean but you'll just have to wait until the next time to see what happens! As always, leave me a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter and what you'd like to see in the next one.**

 **Happy Monday and hope you all have a great week!**

 **~Jen**


	38. The Aftermath

**Hey guys! Hope you've all had a great weekend and here's the next chapter. Huge thanks to my great reviewers:** LadyAnj, Happygreenbirdy, XOStarbrightXO, Cookiedoodles168, and LeaGirlWriter22 **I hope you guys like this chapter.**

 **…**

Kadence screamed as she heard an explosion and felt the ground shake around her. Everyone else was screaming as well and Kadence tried to make sense of all the chaos. One minute everything had been fine and the next Kadence wasn't sure what was happening. She looked toward where the explosion had come from and saw a big chunk of the palace was demolished while people in black clothes and masks streamed toward the party and the guests.

Everyone watched in horror as the rebels made their way across the lawn and toward the party. One of them reached into a pocket and threw something toward the tent filled with people. A few seconds later the snack table exploded and the people nearest it were thrown backwards as the world shook again.

The crowd screamed again and Kadence dropped into a crouch and pulled Aurora, the girl closest to her, down as well. Gun shots rang out and Kadence crawled away as quickly as she could. She tried not to get trampled as she made her way to safety among the panicked crowd. From her place on the ground Kadence saw all of the guards in attendance, the on duty and off duty ones, rush toward the intruders with their guns blazing. A few of the masked people feel but it was clear that the element of surprise had thrown the guards off their game, even though they had more men than the rebels. Guards as well as civilians were being hit with gunfire and Kadence just prayed that she along with all of her friends would be okay.

The tent was so flimsy that Kadence was surprised it had managed to stay standing throughout the attack. She didn't know what would happen if the tent collapsed on her while the rebels were still there, but she did _not_ want to find out.

Kadence crawled forward a few more yards, avoiding the feet of the people who were running around everywhere. Out of nowhere a heavy, older man fell and nearly crushed Kadence. She shrieked and jumped backward, into Aurora who screamed while Kadence did. A dark red stain spread over he man's shoulder and he grunted in pain. Kadence wanted to stay and help him but she knew she had to keep herself and Aurora safe first. She gave the man a wide berth as she continued to crawl toward safety. When someone else fell into Kadence's path she gave up hope of making it out of the tent. She knew they wouldn't be able to make it past all of the rebels without being spotted and possibly shot. Kadence gave out a defeated shriek of frustration and quickly crawled underneath the nearest shelter she could find- the beautiful table that had housed the cake. The golden tablecloth dangled down to the floor so Kadence knew it was one of the best hiding spots in the tent. She crawled under and made room for Aurora, pulling her poofy tulle skirt into her lap as much as she could. She was seriously regretting the outfit choice since it made hiding and running much harder than necessary. Kadence scooted back farther to make more room and she bumped into something warm and moving. It was too much for Kadence's poor frayed nerves and she let out a terrified scream only to have a hand thrust over her mouth, cutting off her screen as well as her oxygen supply.

"It's me," a feminine voice hissed, "be quiet."

Kadence couldn't recognize the girl's voice but she was certain it was one of her fellow Selected. As her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness she recognized Shevonne's dark skin and wide eyes. Along with Shevonne, Kadence saw Amara's freckled face and Sage's big grey eyes. Kadence was surprised all five girls could fit under the table but she wasn't about to move, especially not when it seemed like a good hiding spot since none of the girls had been found yet. When Shevonne saw Kadence's recognition she removed her hand.

Kadence breathed slowly and tried to calm her racing heart. When she was sure she could speak without stuttering, she said, "So now what?"

The girls all looked at each other, no one knowing the answer.

"Well, I'm not going back out there," Sage declared as the others nodded in agreement.

"So we just _wait_?" Amara asked.

"I guess so," Shevonne said.

The girls all subconsciously moved closer, nobody wanting to be alone. They huddled together under the table while they waited to see what would become of them. They could clearly hear gunshots going off every few minutes but they had no idea whether it was guards or rebels. When something heavy landed on the table and it shook, all of the girls screamed, Aurora almost bolting from under the table and only staying because Kadence and Shevonne grabbed her.

After several minutes of nothing happening, Amara gathered her skirt in her arms and said, "I can't take it anymore. I have to know what's happening."

Amara reached her hand out to lift the tablecloth but Kadence stopped her, "We don't know what's going on, you can't just go out there."

"We're just sitting ducks here. I at least want to go out with a fight."

Before Kadence could respond, Sage interrupted them, "Do you smell that?"

"I don't smell anything," Aurora informed them.

Kadence inhaled deeply and at first didn't smell anything either, but then she took another breath and it hit her. Smoke. Something was burning, and it was close.

Amara smelled it at the same time Kadence did and said, "We _can't_ stay here."

She again reached out to lift the tablecloth but before she could it was yanked up from the other side.

Shevonne screamed and Kadence jumped back, smacking her head into the hard underside of the table as she did so. Sage looked ready to fight whatever was coming for them and Aurora was pale, as if she were about to faint.

Before any of them could react however, a burst of static interrupted the silence and the guard bent to fiddle with the radio on his belt. The girls let out a collective breath because help had come for them.

"I have five ladies here," he spoke into the radio, "we're coming, expect us soon." He turned to the girls and saw the fear on their faces, "Ladies, we need to leave _now_."

They scrambled out from under the table and began to follow the guard. The smoke was stronger there and the girls crouched down as they walked so that they could breathe better. Kadence glanced around and saw that one side of the canvas tent was in flames, and they were spreading. They were the only people left in the tent and if they didn't leave soon the tent would burn up with them inside of it.

However they hadn't taken more than a few steps when a sharp crack rang out and the guard who had been escorting them fell down, a dark stain spreading on his chest. A rebel was waiting in the bushes and he spotted the girls, when he saw that they's noticed him he gave an evil smile and yelled, "The monarchy will die," as he turned his gun on Amara. As he went to pull the trigger a different shot rang out and the rebel dropped down dead.

A different guard came running up to the girls. He grabbed Amara's arm and motioned to the others to follow before taking off.

Kadence spared one more look at the fallen guard. She wished she knew his name. He had sacrificed himself for them and she didn't even know who he was. She felt guilt wrack her body as she stared at him. She owed this man _everything_ and she couldn't even thank him. He deserved so much more than what had happened to him.

"Kadence!" Sage called out, motioning to her friend.

With one last glance Kadence said a silent thank you to the guard before turning and following her friends to safety.

 **…**

Priya glanced at the destruction around her. The beautiful party was ruined, the tent in shambles, and everyone running around. It was chaos like Priya had never before seen, and she had seen lots of chaos. Political protests gone wrong, rallies being broken up by authorities, even once when an assassin had snuck into her mother's office while Priya was there in an attempt to kill the governor. None of that compared to what was happening at the party though, that was on a scale all its own.

The attack was unprecedented. One minute everything was fine, and the next everyone was screaming and running while rebels infiltrated the party, shooting anyone who got in their way. Priya had been speaking with Natalie and the Queen when the attack happened so she had been one of the first girls to get to safety since she was with the Queen. Guards had instantly surrounded the three women and hustled them off while rebels continually tried to get to the royal women.

Matthew and Serenity were next to them, with their own protective detail that was mainly focused on Serenity. The guards tried to get in front of the Crown Prince but he was insistent that his wife be protected from all angles, going so far as to place himself directly front of her bulging stomach. Priya was all for chivalry but it seemed like Matthew was slowing down the guards by insisting they better protect Serenity.

They had been hustled out of the tent and away from the palace which was still smoking from the explosion that had first gone off. Priya had no idea where they were going since as far as she knew all of the safe rooms and tunnels were in the palace. She didn't know how they were going to be protected out in the open but she would just have to trust the guards to keep them safe.

The guards seemed to know what they were doing and the constant stream of orders coming from the radios was enough to give Priya a headache, she had no idea how the guards were able to understand what was going on. As the guards kept them moving Priya realized they were leaving the gardens and headed for the forest. Priya had never before set foot in the forest despite how long she had been at the palace. The horse trails she rode on went around the forest but none went into it so Priya was not comfortable to be leaving the paths behind to follow the guards into the dense forest. She didn't complain though, just held tightly to Natalie as the girls were marched deeper into the forest.

After what seemed like hours the guards came to a stop in front of a small cabin that Priya hadn't known existed. It was tiny and almost crumbling, it was so old it almost appeared as part of the forest itself. The guards shoved the three women inside and Priya was shocked when the inside was as sad looking as the outside. She had been expecting something that could protect them, maybe bulletproof glass windows and thick walls not this decrepit looking building. However, like most things it wasn't what it appeared.

The head guard walked over to a corner and bent down, running his hands along the floor, searching. Finally he stopped and pressed a hidden button. A trap door swung down into the bomb shelter that Priya had been expecting. The women slowly began to climb down the staircase and Priya tried not to panic when the door swung shut above their heads, encasing them underground. Emergency lights lit up the hallway and Priya followed behind Queen Sabrina who seemed to be the only one who knew where to go.

Priya was actually quite impressed with the shelter they were in. It was the most fortified thing Priya had ever seen, she knew that _nothing_ could get through the thick walls and ceiling. The thing that Priya knew would keep them safe though, was how top secret this bunker was. Priya had worked at the palace for _years_ and didn't know it existed. Even Nat, who had lived there her whole life, was looking at their surroundings with awe. Priya wondered what level of clearance you had to have to know about this place.

The Queen stopped at the end of the hallway and opened a door, gasping at what was inside. She flew into the room and Priya quickly followed, worried something was wrong. Instead, what she saw shocked her even more. The Queen was holding onto her husband and crying into his chest while he tenderly stroked her hair. It was the first time Priya had ever seen the Queen express her emotions like that and it scared Priya more than anything else had that evening.

Along with the King, Priya spotted Brandon and Brook in a corner, talking quietly together. Zinnia, Taylor, and Juliet were the only other Selected there. Ryan was talking with them, seeming to keep them distracted from the situation at hand. Priya rolled her eyes when she saw that even in this life or death situation Taylor was using it as an excuse to flirt with Ryan while Brandon was distracted. What surprised Priya though, was that Ryan didn't seem to notice. He was too busy helping Juliet manage her crutches to notice how Taylor kept pressing herself against him.

Behind Priya the door swung open again, revealing Matthew and Serenity who were both winded and sweaty but otherwise unharmed. Matthew strode over to his father and the two began speaking in hushed tones to each other. Priya guided Natalie away from the door and they found seats on some of the chairs in the sparse room.

As Priya watched, guards kept coming and depositing girls into the bunker, usually in groups of two or three. Priya hated the rebels with everything in her but she had to admit they had planned this attack well. They had waited until a night when nobody was in the palace. It was much easier to get attack when there was nowhere for them to hide. And the rebels had done it when guests and cameras were there so there would be no possible way for the royal family to cover it up. It was obvious that they had put lots of thought into planning this attack and that worried Priya. They were getting stronger and more organized. If they were capable of causing so much destruction this time, Priya didn't even want to imagine what they could do in the future.

 **…**

Brandon watched as London, Tristyn, and Elody were escorted into the bunker by guards. With each girl that walked through the doors Brandon breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't know what he would if one of the girls didn't make it. He already felt guilty for putting them in this position in the first place. He was keeping a tab of all the injuries the girls had sustained and each one hurt him more than the last. London had a big bruise on her cheek, Anya was limping, Sera's wrist was swollen from when debris had hit her and Brandon thought it looked sprained.

Miami and Cosmina entered the room and Brandon felt himself relax now that he knew two more girls were safe. Several were still missing though and Brandon knew he wouldn't be okay until he was sure they were safe. Matthew kept giving Brandon pointed looks and Brandon knew exactly what they meant but he wasn't sure he was up for going around and comforting the girls. He couldn't even comfort himself so how was he supposed to make the Selected feel better. Still, when Aria and Vivian stumbled in, Brandon knew he couldn't avoid the girls anymore. With a sigh he stood up and made his way over to the first group of girls.

He made the same empty promises to each of them and gave them all comforting hugs. Some girls were easier to deal with than others. Elody seemed to be in shock. She stared right through him as he attempted to talk to her. Anya burst into tears when she saw Brandon. All of his attempts to comfort her were for nothing. She clung to him and sobbed, "I want to go home," without stopping. Brandon assured her that she could go home as soon as possible.

When Brandon got to London his heart ached at the purple bruise taking up nearly half her face. He gently pressed a kiss to it and she smiled at him even though she winced at the touch. He picked up one of her hands and sat down next to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I've been better," she teased him.

"I'm so sorry you had to deal with this. I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to go home."

Her smile was back in full force, "It'll take more than that to get rid of me."

Brandon almost laughed at her but seeing the bruise on her face stopped him. Whoever he married would have to get used to this. She would have to deal with this fear everyday for the rest of her life. Could Brandon really ask one of these girls to do that for him?

Brandon placed another kiss on London's wrist before standing up and saying, "I wish I could stay, but I have to talk to the others."

London nodded in understanding and smiled again as Brandon left.

Brandon spoke to several other girls but none were as calm as London until he got to Blaise. She seemed almost unfazed by the attack and was nowhere near hysterical like some of the other girls. Priya was also another girl who Brandon enjoyed talking to. She kept him sane and helped him prepare to talk to some of the other girls.

When Brandon was in the middle of speaking with Zinnia, the door opened again and the last five girls entered. Brandon gave a hasty goodbye to the birthday girl before hurrying over to the newcomers. It was a miracle that none of them were injured. All of the girls in the Selection had survived and not one of them had a serious injury. It was more than Brandon had even dreamed of. He was sure that at least one of the girls was going to be gone, but since they weren't Brandon didn't know if he could ever let them go again. Brandon began talking with Amara and made his way through the other girls.

Kadence was a shell of her former self. She was typically quiet but Brandon had never seen her as closed off as she now was. The sweet smile that usually graced her face was gone and she seemed to be looking at everything and nothing at the same time. The only girls who had been able to coax words out of her were Seraphina and Aria, the latter only leaving when Brandon approached so that they could have some privacy.

"Are you alright?" Brandon asked quietly.

Mutely she shook her head as a tear fell down her cheek. Brandon reached out and brushed it away, leaving his hand there longer than necessary. Normally this would have made the shy girl blush but now she didn't even seem to notice it.

"What happened?" he wondered, trying to get her to speak to him.

"So many people were dead, Brandon," she whispered and Brandon had to strain to hear her, "they died for _me_. It's my fault."

"If it's anyone's fault, it's _mine_." Brandon told her, " _Nothing_ about this is your fault, Kadence. Please believe me."

Kadence shook her head and Brandon did the only thing he could think of and pulled her against his chest while she cried.

When she had finally cried herself out, Brandon held onto her for another minute. When he let her go she didn't say anything, just pulled her knees up to her chest, put her head down, and closed her eyes. As Brandon backed away, Aria took back her spot next to Kadence and wrapped a protective arm around her. Brandon felt an intense stab of guilt as he looked at Kadence and he had to turn away. He hoped that time would help her because he wasn't ready to send her home yet.

Brandon checked on a few more girls and they all seemed to be doing okay. He approached Cosmina and sat down next to her, picking up her hand and entwining their fingers.

Cosmina looked at him and smiled sadly. Brandon could tell she wanted to talk but he didn't want to push her so he just sat there and waited until she was ready.

"Does it ever get easier?" she asked sadly.

Brandon didn't know what she was talking about, "Does what get easier?"

" _This_ ," she gestured to the bunker they were in, "death, destruction, being caught in the middle of it all. Having someone hate you _so much_ they would kill innocent people in order to get to you."

"Oh," Brandon said, then after a minute added, "it doesn't get easier."

Cosmina sighed, "That's what I was afraid of."

Brandon got the feeling there was more that she just wasn't telling him, but he would wait. If it was something she wanted to share with him Brandon was sure she would.

"I know it's a lot to handle," he told her, "There's nothing wrong with wanting to go home. I can't ask you to deal with this for your whole life."

Cosmina reached out and cupped Brandon's cheek, "Life was never meant to be easy and the things we have to fight for are usually the most worth having."

Brandon smiled at her, wanting to make sure he understood what she was saying.

She smiled back, "I know dealing with all of this will be hard, but as long as it means I get to be with you, I know I can handle it."

Her words were exactly what Brandon needed to hear. He pulled her against him and just rested in the comfort of her presence. He knew that even if every other girl chose to leave at least he would still have one who cared for him.

After another minute, Brandon pulled away and reluctantly got up, telling Cosmina goodbye as he moved onto the next girl.

When Brandon had finished talking with all of the girls he walked over to where his father and Matthew were speaking in hushed tones while a guard reported over a radio to them.

"Any news?" he asked and Matthew sadly shook his head.

"The guards are still trying to contain them," the King said, "we were truly caught off guard this time, it's a miracle there haven't been more fatalities."

"Do we know how they managed to infiltrate the palace?" Matthew asked, going into his Crown Prince mode.

"We don't know anything as of now, but the guards outnumber the rebels and since the attack is no longer a surprise I am certain that we will be successful in defeating them."

"How long is that going to take?"

"That I don't know. We'll just have to be patient and wait for word from the captain."

Matthew gave a nod and left them to go comfort his wife. Brandon watched as Matthew whispered soothingly to Serenity and patiently answered her questions.

It was clear that the King was done speaking so Brandon made his way back to the corner he'd been sitting in with Brook and settled in for the long wait.

 **...**

 **Ok, hope you liked this chapter and let me know what you think of it in the reviews. I seriously love getting your reviews so please leave me one :). Even if you don't have a character I'd love to know what you think.**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Jen**


	39. Safe and Sound

Chapter 39

 **Hey guys! Hope you've all had a great September and hope your October is amazing! Sorry this update took so long but thanks for sticking with me!**

 **Thanks to the people who reviewed last time:** jess120, LeaGirlWriter22, XOStarbrightXO, Cookiedoodles168, morethanjustastory, wolfofstark, **and** (x4).

 **…**

"Brandon, it's time," his father told him.

Brandon sighed, worn out from the long night of sitting in the bunker and waiting for news. The whole night he had been waiting for the all clear so that they could leave the bunker but the call didn't come until the early hours of the morning and when they got to the palace it was in ruins. The whole patio leading out to the gardens was destroyed as were the Dining Room and Women's Room. Thankfully the second floor was mostly alright so all of the girls had been able to go to their own rooms. As for Brandon, he had spent the morning helping his father deal with getting the palace put back in order and listen to reports from guards about the attack. All he wanted to do was sleep but instead he had to listen to his father tell him what to do.

Brandon looked down, unable to meet his father's eyes. He knew that his dad was right, but, "I'm not ready," Brandon admitted.

"After the events last night you can't keep twenty girls here any longer. It's time for you to cut it down to the Elite. Keeping the other girls here is just unnecessarily putting them in danger."

"I know that, but I am not ready to eliminate half of the remaining girls. It has barely been a _month,_ you can't seriously expect me to have it narrowed down to ten girls already."

"Actually," his father said, "I would prefer if you kept less than ten. It would make finding security for them all so much easier if we only had six girls."

"I can't go from twenty girls down to _six!_ I barely know them, I need more time."

"Well how much time is it going to take before one of them is killed because you kept them here! Some girl that you were never going to marry is caught up in all of this and pays the ultimate price for staying here even when there was never any hope for the two of you!"

Brandon visibly recoiled at his father's words. His father had just addressed his greatest fear and proved that it wasn't as unreasonable as Brandon had thought.

"That's not going to happen," Brandon whispered, aching for it to be true.

The King saw that he had offended his son and quickly tried to backtrack. In a much gentler voice he said, "I know you care about them, Brandon, and that is why you need to make an elimination, so that none of them get hurt. I know how you think and if anything happened to even one of them you would place the blame solely on yourself. Eliminating them is the kindest thing to do."

Mutely Brandon shook his head, knowing his father was right but hating every word he spoke. Finally Brandon formed the words he had been looking for, "I agree that an elimination is necessary, but I will not narrow it down to my Elite just yet."

"Matthew chose his Elite after only six weeks," King James pointed out.

With a sarcastic chuckle Brandon pointed out, "I'm not Matthew." Brandon always wished he could be more like his confident, decisive, perfect older brother, but the fact was they were opposites.

The King smirked, "I figured it was worth a shot. It is your Selection so you can conduct it however you see fit. I won't force you to pick the Elite but I strongly suggest it."

Brandon smiled genuinely, "Thank you, father. I'll go speak to the ladies now."

"Do you know who you are eliminating?" James asked.

Brandon thought for a minute, knowing the number wasn't nearly high enough to please his father, before giving a slight nod.

"Alright then, go to it. I just hope you know what you're doing."

Brandon feigned a confident smirk and turned to leave the room, "Trust me, I do."

 **…**

Elody sat at her desk, looking out the window but not really seeing anything. She hadn't been able to sleep all night after getting out of the bunker. She had been too alert after the attack and worry had been with her the whole time. When the knock sounded on her door she flew over to answer it. She opened the door and was greeted by Brandon's face. When she saw who it was she deflated a little but invited him in nonetheless.

He sighed as he sat down across from her on the bed. He had already talked with eleven girls and by the time he got to Elody he was ready to be done.

It was a repeat of what had happened in the bunker the night before. Brandon asked her meaningless questions and she gave shallow answers, not talking about anything important. Finally, Elody couldn't take it anymore and asked the question that had been plaguing her.

"How many people died last night?"

Brandon stopped mid-sentence and looked at her blankly, "What?"

"I'm not a child," Elody snapped, "I know people died, I saw them shot with my own eyes. What I want to know is how many of the guests there died?"

Brandon looked shocked at her outburst but quickly recovered, going into the emotionless prince he was supposed to be as he said, "There were twenty five civilian deaths, forty seven severe injuries, and thirty six guard fatalities that we know of, there might be more, several guards are still missing and if they're not found they will be declared dead within a week."

She nodded thoughtfully then asked, "Is there a list of the fatalities? So we can see who was killed?"

"What does it matter, Elody?" Brandon exploded, all of his stress and pent up anger coming out in those few words, "They're already _dead,_ we can't change that. It's not like you know any of the people anyway. Just try to forget about it," he advised her, managing to calm down.

Elody wasn't appeased though so she calmly told him,"I want to go home."

Brandon looked like he'd been slapped, "What?"

"I want to leave." Elody repeated.

"Don't say that," Brandon told her, "I didn't mean to yell at you, I'm just under a lot of pressure right now and it's been a really, _really_ long past day for me."

Elody smiled sadly, "I'm not mad because you yelled at me. I was going to leave anyway. You and I just aren't right for each other, can't you feel it?"

Brandon knew she was right but it didn't make it any easier for him to let her go, "There's someone else, isn't there?"

Elody nodded, "We met at Natalie's party and just had this instant connection. We've been writing letters ever since. Being around him just makes me feel better, he just gets me like nobody else ever has. When I'm with him i don't feel pressure to be perfect, I can just be me and he accepts that. I saw him again last night. We talked a lot. He wanted me to quit the Selection but I wanted to stay. We were arguing about it when the attack happened. Some of the rebels saw us and he took a bullet to save me and I don't even know if he survived!" throughout her explanation Elody had grown more and more agitated. By the end she was in tears, "Please, Brandon, I have to know if he's okay."

"Who is he?" Brandon asked, hoping he knew whether or not the man Elody loved was alive.

"Alexander Maxfield," she told Brandon, "he's an ambassador to the German Federation."

Brandon nodded, knowing exactly who the young, handsome ambassador was.

"Please tell me he's alive," Elody breathed.

Brandon wracked his brain, trying to come up with the answer. He knew one of the ambassadors had been killed, but he thought it was an Italian ambassador. But then Brandon remembered Ryan talking about Alexander. The two were close in age and had always been friends so Ryan had checked on him.

"He's alive," Brandon told Elody, "the bullet went into his shoulder and he needed surgery to remove it but he should make a full recovery."

Elody looked like the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders. She grabbed Brandon in a hug and exclaimed, "Thank you! Thank you!"

Brandon waited until she had calmed down before speaking again, "You can have your maids help you pack and then you can leave at three with the other girls."

Elody nodded then said, "I'm sorry to do this to you, Brandon. You're a wonderful person, just not the one for me. The attack just made me realize how I feel about Alex and that I need to act on it before it's too late."

Brandon took in her words before saying, "Is there anything I could have done differently? Just so that I don't mess up with any other girls?"

Elody shook her head, "Alex just understands me better. Within minutes of meeting me he knew what I had been through and how to help me." Brandon looked properly confused so Elody began to explain, "I never told you how I became an Eight, did I?"

Brandon shook his head. He had always wondered but could tell it was a sore subject for her so he had never pushed.

"I don't tell very many people so if you could not let it become a piece of palace gossip that would be great," Brandon nodded then she took a deep breath and then told him, "when I was fifteen my father tried to rape me."

She said it so blatantly that at first Brandon thought he had misheard her, "What?"

"My father tried to sexually assault me and then when I got away he lied to my mother about it and they threw me out of the house. I was going to run away anyway rather than live with him, but he turned my whole family against me so they kicked me out and I became an Eight."

"When you were _fifteen_?" Brandon clarified. She was so mature that Brandon often forgot she was one of the youngest in the Selection, at only sixteen she was younger even than Zinnia. He now knew where her maturity had come from though, and why she was so hesitant to trust and very jumpy about being touched. Knowing her history made lots of things make much more sense about her. Certain things she said or did could be related back to what had happened to her.

"I was fifteen," she reiterated, then explained more, "when Alexander first met me he could tell that someone had tried to take advantage of me. Someone did take advantage of his sister, so he recognized the signs. One of his biggest charities in the German Federation is to help victims of rape and domestic violence so he really knows how to help me. He started it because of his sister and it's one of the biggest nonprofits in the country. He wants me to go over there with him and be the spokeswoman for his charity, and I think that's something I would enjoy doing."

Brandon gave her a small smile. At least one good thing had come from the horrible attack. Elody was finally going to have a chance to be happy in life, and how could Brandon not give her that? Especially after knowing what she went through, he had to allow her a chance for happiness.

"I really hope that you like the German Federation, if you go you have to head to Munich, it's one of my favorite spots."

Elody smiled at him, "I'll make sure to do that."

"I expect a full report when you get back."

"Of course."

"Maybe we'll even have to make you an ambassador in a few years."

Elody smiled at him, "Maybe. You never know."

Brandon smiled back and told her in complete seriousness, "I really hope Alexander makes you happy."

Elody beamed in response, "He already has."

 **…**

Matthew sighed and dropped onto his bed, yanking off his shoes and socks. He then attacked his tie and jacket, treating them with an unnecessary vengeance.

Serenity watched her husband worriedly. Ordinarily she would have teased him about the mess he was making, but she knew that today had been stressful for him. She was stressed and she hadn't had to do a fraction of what he did.

Instead of pushing him she made her way to his side of the room and sat next to him, reaching up and rubbing gentle circles on his back.

Matthew remained silent for a minute, content just to be with his wife. He turned to look at her and placed a kiss on her shoulder, the part of her easiest to reach. After another minute he sighed and stood up, picking up his discarded clothes as he went.

Serenity waited patiently for him to come back, knowing he wanted to talk. He saw her sitting there and laid on the bed beside her, his head almost in her lap.

"It was so hard, Wren," he whispered.

"I know," she reached out smoothed away the wrinkles he was making on his forehead.

"All those people," he said, "I had to go to so many people and tell them that they would never see their loved one again. Some of those men had families. They were fathers. Now their wives are widows. Every single one of those families must hate me now. They'll only remember me as the man who told them their son or their husband or their father died."

"That's not true, Matthew. They don't hate you. You were not the one who shot those guards and their families know that. The _rebels_ are the ones to blame and everyone knows it. It was brave of you to face those families and tell them yourself about what happened, much better than finding out on the Report."

"Is it really though? I feel like I'm doing those men a disservice. They are all so much braver than I could ever be."

"Matthew Joseph Schreave, don't you talk like that," Serenity reprimanded him, forcing him to meet her bright blue eyes, "You are just as brave as them, your bravery is just a different form than theirs. You're going to figure out how to stop the rebels to ensure that those guards sacrifices weren't in vain."

"I don't know if we can, Serenity."

"Didn't you interrogate them today?" she wondered.

When the guards had managed to overcome the rebels they had taken several hostages and Matthew and the King had interrogated them for information about their hideouts and plans. Serenity had wanted to be part of it but everyone had insisted she stay away so instead she had taken a nap and helped to reassure the Selected girls that everything was alright.

Matthew nodded, "It wasn't much use though. We didn't capture anyone high ranking enough to know anything. General Moore is still down there and he thinks that one of them is lying. He is determined to find where their hideouts are. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to leave, but I know the General will be there until he has it figured out."

"Then at least we'll have something come from the attack. If we can find the rebel's hideout than all of the deaths last night can be avenged."

Matthew nodded at her words, seeming more relaxed just from the few minutes spent in Serenity's company.

"Did you learn anything else?" Serenity wondered, wanting to make sure she had all of the information since she hadn't gotten to attend.

Matthew nodded gravely, his smile falling from his face, "You remember who we thought the rebels were working with? It turns out we were right. The hostages confirmed that they are working with the African Union. They want us involved in this war but father is doing everything he can to stay out of it."

"So are we at war?"

"No, and we'd like to keep it that way. At least now we know what we're up against and if we can take out the rebels that eliminates the problems with the Africans. They won't have a base here anymore and will have no way to get to us, their resources are stretched thin as it is. We just need to figure out how to stop the rebels."

"You will," Serenity assured him, "one way or another. It will all work out in the end."

Matthew nodded but didn't look convinced, "I sure hope you're right, Wren."

Serenity smirked, "I'm always right, it's one of the many reasons you married me. Now come on, it's been a long day and I'm ready for bed."

"Alright," Matthew told her as he stood up, "I have another meeting in half an hour so I won't be back until late. You get some sleep though, you need it."

Serenity wanted to point out that the circles under Matthew's eyes were much worse than her own, but she knew that wouldn't matter to him and he would attend the meeting anyway so she stayed silent.

Matthew placed a kiss on her cheek before going to the door and turning around, "I love you," he told her.

She smiled back sleepily, "Love you too."

With one last look back Matthew turned and left the room, leaving Serenity staring after him and just hoping that he could handle whatever dealing with the rebels entailed.

 **…**

 **Ok so you can go to my profile for a list of all the girls who are left but the ones who were eliminated in this chapter were:**

 **Aurora Bennett**

 **Elody Bond**

 **Anya Emerson**

 **Blaise Larkin**

 **Please please leave me a review. If you guys read and enjoy this story (or even if you don't enjoy it) I'd love to know. Give me feedback on what you liked or didn't like, just let me know what you're thinking. Constructive criticism is always welcome. And reviewing definitely does help your characters, just saying. I'm going to be more motivated to write about a girl when her creator is consistently reviewing and interacting with me about the story.**

 **Hope that didn't scare you off! Until next time,**

 **~Jen**


	40. In the Women's Room

**Hey all! So I'm going to apologize for the length of this chapter, I know it's incredibly short but I did get it out pretty fast. Hopefully you can all forgive me. Thanks to my lovely reviewers:** Scarlett **(who my computer hates for some reason, sorry! x8! Seriously, 8!),** jess120, XOStarbrightXO and Cookiedoodles168.

 **…**

It had been two months since the attack at Zinnia's birthday party and life at the palace had returned to normal relatively quickly. The destruction was all but gone and the attack had faded from the minds of most of the Selected girls. Life went on as it always had. The girls had lessons in the morning with Amelia, free time and studying in the afternoons, and filming the Report every Friday.

The girls had all been on another date with Brandon and they spent their days learning more about a princess's duties and what would be expected of them if they won. Princess Serenity was a regular presence in the Women's Room, spending at least two hours a day with the girls advising and speaking with them. Each day she seemed to get bigger. She wasn't due for another three months but that didn't stop Matthew from giving her a minimum amount of work and banning her from her office to keep her stress levels down in her final trimester.

Princess Natalie was away in France. Her mother had sent her over to get to know her fiancé a bit and Natalie was counting the days until she could return to Illéa. She would not come back for another two weeks and her presence was greatly mourned in the Women's Room.

Security around the palace had been tightened even further and the Selected girls were no longer allowed outside on their own. The only time they could leave was if Brandon or another royal escorted them, along with a horde of guards of course.

Some girls responded to the new security measures better than others but it was safe to say that all of them were suffering. Tempers were more strained and it was much more common for the girls to snap at one another than before the attack had happened. For the most part, girls were nervous since the number had been narrowed down again and each of them was worried they would be the next to leave.

It was becoming more and more common for the girls to abandon the Women's Room during the afternoons so that they could spend time away from the other girls, especially as they explored new parts of the palace and became comfortable enough to venture around on their own.

After the explosion, the Women's Room had been demolished and needed so many repairs that the Queen and Amelia had simply decided to remodel the whole room and some of the more timid girls preferred to stay away from it because of the memories it brought back, although after a date the room was usually crowded with all of the girls wanting to hear the details so that they could compare it to their own experiences with Brandon.

However, since Brandon had been in meetings all day, the Women's Room remained abandoned that afternoon leaving Kadence to reflect on how lonely the Selection had become. Sure she still had her friends, but it was clear that the competition was beginning to drive a wedge between them. London and Sera especially had been distant to each other after London returned from her last date, proudly announcing to the room that Brandon had kissed her and earning several jealous glares in response.

Kadence tried to be the peacekeeper between her friends but it proved difficult when they never wanted to even be in the same room as each other.

At least her relationship with Aria hadn't suffered, in fact it had strengthened since they were the only two girls who stayed in the Women's Room with any consistency. Princess Brooklyn had taken to speaking with them during the afternoons and occasionally they would be joined by Vivian or Amara but for the most part the three girls were left to themselves.

Kadence was pulled from her musings when Brook laughed loudly at whatever story Aria had told her. Kadence smiled weakly in response even though she had missed all of it.

Aria gave her a look that said she wasn't fooled and Kadence shook her head, not wanting to voice her thoughts in front of Brook.

Before Aria had a chance to respond though, the door swung open and Cosmina entered, followed closely by Miami.

"Hi," Cosmina chirped, pulling a chair up and joining their conversation.

"Hey," Brook said, smiling brightly, her blue eyes shining.

"It's so quiet in here," Miami observed.

"Yeah," Kadence agreed sadly, "it is."

"We need to fix that," Cosmina said.

Cosmina was one of the girls who liked to spend a few afternoons a week in the Women's Room with the twins and it was always nice when she stopped in. It seemed like she was only just now realizing how lonely the vast room had become.

"I don't know how," Aria told her with a bittersweet smile.

"We'll figure something out, but we need to come together and not be torn apart. I know we're all competing for Brandon but that doesn't mean we can't still be friendly with each other. Or at least be in the same room together," she amended as an afterthought.

"Yeah," Miami agreed, "we need to be together."

"Good luck trying," Aria said, knowing there would be several girls who would _not_ want to be near each other.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck," Brook said, standing up with an elegant sweep of her chair, "but I have to leave now. Hopefully tomorrow there will be more faces in here." she smiled sweetly before turning around.

The girls all smiled at her optimism as she left, Cosmina and Miami in her wake, eager to get away from the empty room.

It was just the two sisters left and they smiled at each other. While this would have been awkward for Aria a few weeks ago, by now she had gotten to know Kadence and they had spent several afternoons with only each other fro company. The two were becoming quite close and Aria had to admit that it was refreshing to have someone she could always depend upon to talk with.

"Tell me about your brothers," Kadence asked her for what had to be the thousandth time.

Aria laughed, "I've already told you every good story about them that I know."

"Well, tell them again," Kadence demanded. Since she had grown up thinking she was an only child, the idea of siblings had always fascinated her, one of the reasons she was so drawn to Aria. But ever since learning that she had a sister, Kadence had been thrilled with the prospect of having brothers, and it turned out that she did, she had just never met them.

"Kadence, you know everything already," Aria pointed out.

"I know," she conceded, "I just really want to feel like I know them. You've known them their whole lives and I've never met them. What if they _hate_ me?" she lamented.

"They're not going to hate you," Aria promised her.

"How do you know?" Kadence asked.

"Because they hate _me_ and you're my opposite so they'll have to love you." she smirked at her twin as she finished her sentence.

"Aria, be serious," Kadence begged her, "I've never had brothers before, what if I mess something up?"

"There's nothing you could do that would mess it up so badly that they would hate you. They're going to love you. You're sweet, funny, pretty, and charming. How could they hate you?"

Kadence blushed at all of Aria's compliments, knowing she meant them. Aria was not someone who gave empty flattery.

"Besides," Aria continued, "You're so much like my brother, Josh, the two of you will get along amazingly."

"Really?" Kadence asked, awed.

"Yeah, the two of you are _so_ similar."

"I can't wait to meet them," Kady mused.

"Oh yeah," Aria grinned, "but the first time you have to pretend to be me so we can freak them out. It'll be hilarious," she laughed just at the thought.

"I can't lie to them, Aria."

"It's not lying," Aria argued, "it's something every set of twins does. We've missed all of our twin moments growing up, you _have_ to let me have this," she practically begged.

"I don't know. I mean, I'll probably meet them at the palace and I don't want to tell lies here."

Aria was thoroughly confused, "Why would they be at the palace?"

"Because the families of the Elite always come to the palace," Kadence's tone implied that this was common knowledge and Aria should have already known it.

Aria laughed out loud at Kadence's hopeless optimism, "You don't honestly think we'll _both_ be in the Elite, do you?"

"Why not?" Kadence asked.

"Because," Aria explained, using the same tone Kadence just had, "there's a slim chance _one_ of us will make it to the Elite and absolutely no way both of us will. We're _twins,_ Brandon doesn't need to keep two of the same thing."

"We're twins, Aria, _not_ the same person. I think he likes both of us differently and he'll keep us both. Besides, you know the saying. It's double or nothing. Either we're both staying or neither of us is," Kadence smiled at the end of her sentence, already picturing what it would be like to be a part of the Elite.

"And I'm telling you, there's _no way_ he'll keep both of us. He's going to want diversity in the Elite and that means letting one of us go. And I've seen the way he looks at you, you're not going to be the one leaving." she didn't seem upset when she stated the fact, just resigned. Aria knew that she would be leaving the competition before her sister.

"That's not true," Kadence argued, "he likes you too. You make him laugh and he always smiles when he's around you. When we're together I can barely string two words together to make a sentence, let alone make him laugh."

"Plenty of girls make him laugh," Aria pointed out.

"Yeah, but-" before Kadence could finish her statement the door to the Women's Room swung open, revealing Cosmina and Miami who had returned with Tristyn, Amara, Juliet, London, Seraphina, and Ember.

"What are you guys doing?" Aria asked as they all walked in.

"We all agreed that we've let this competition go too far. We can still be friends even if we're all dating the same guy," Cosmina explained, "it's gotten too lonely and we need to stop pushing each other away. We can't let the rebels or the competition divide us anymore."

Everyone nodded at her words, all of them seeming to agree that the past few weeks had not been the best of the Selection.

"So," she continued, gesturing to the group around her, "who wants to play hide and seek?"

 **…**

 **So definitely not my best chapter, but I hope you liked it anyway. Some twin and other Selected bonding in this chapter so that was nice.**

 **I know a lot of you guys like Matthew and Serenity (I do too) and next chapter is going to feature them but I need your help. In the reviews leave me some potential baby names for them to talk about or pick. I can't come up with all those names by myself so I would love it if you guys helped me, but if you do please don't be offended if the characters don't love the name as much as you do. Some names will be made fun of so please don't suggest anything if you're not okay with the possibility of them poking fun at it, otherwise I would love to see what you all come up with.**

 **~Jen**


	41. Home Is Where the Heart Is

**Here's a 4,000 word chapter that you all really deserve! You guys are seriously the best and I'm so glad for everyone who clicks on my story, thank you! Special thanks to** wolfofstark **(x2),** morethanjustastory **, my new reviewer** loves ur story **(thank you so much for your kind words, they made my day! x2), and** LeaGirlWriter22 **(x2). I hope you all like this chapter and special thanks to** Lea **and** loves ur story **for their name suggestions!**

 **…**

Natalie had only been in France for three weeks and already she longed to go home. Her mother had assured her that the longer she was in France the more at home she would feel, but for Natalie the opposite was proving true. The French palace was beautiful but she couldn't picture herself living there. She wanted the warm beaches and stifling heat of Angeles, not the picture perfect French weather that the country always seemed to have. She was set to return home in a week and for Natalie the week could not come fast enough.

When her mother had announced the trip to her, Natalie had known that she would hate every minute of it. She missed her family back home, she missed her maids, and most of all she missed Bennett.

The first few days had been absolutely terrible for her. She was all alone on the other side of the world, tired and dealing with jet lag, and in a palace surrounded by people who spoke a foreign language. When Nat had her lessons growing up she had never bothered to learn French, instead opting for German thinking it would help her more. Boy was she regretting that decision now.

"Il y a un téléphone d'appel en attente pour vous, Mlle," a maid said as she opened the door to Natalie's private room.

"English?" Natalie asked, letting a bit of her annoyance drip into her tone. Amelia would have been ashamed of her for snapping at the maid, and Nat was a bit ashamed of herself, but she was _so_ sick of not being able to understand anything. She had picked up a few things since being there but was nowhere near ready for full conversations. Oliver tried helping her, but he was not the best teacher and Natalie was a most unwilling student.

"Of course," the maid said in a thick French accent, her cheeks coloring from Natalie's tone. It was common knowledge around the palace that the Illéan princess couldn't speak French and that the staff were to address her in English, but a lot of them seemed to be forgetting, "there is a telephone call waiting for you," she translated, "in the first office down the hall."

"Thank you," Natalie said, pasting a serene smiling on her face and falling back into her role as the perfect princess, despite how much she hated it.

The maid curtseyed and left, leaving the door open behind her so that Natalie could take her call.

As Nat walked she couldn't help but wonder who was calling her. Her heart leaped at the thought that it was Bennett but the rational part of her knew that there was no way he would be able to call her. Only a handful of people had access to the number she was using while in Paris and he was not one of them, not to mention how inappropriate it would be since she was now engaged. But part of her hoped anyway. She hadn't reached out to him since leaving but when she'd spoken to him before she left he had seemed a bit disappointed and said that he'd miss her. He sounded genuine but Natalie could never tell. People were good actors.

She got to the office and saw that the door had again been left open for her. She shut it with a soft click before going and sitting down at the desk. This was supposed to be her office but it didn't feel anything like hers. There were no personal touches and everything seemed too hard and clean. Just sitting in the chair felt like a crime and Natalie wouldn't have been surprised if when she left a maid came to tidy up everything she had touched. Nat couldn't imagine spending any long periods of time in the stifling room.

Before she could depress herself further, she reached out and picked up the receiver, pushing the correct buttons to transfer the call. Even though everything was labeled in French, Nat had been on enough calls that she knew what to press without accidentally cutting off Oliver's calls from next door. And it had only taken her three tries to figure it out.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Nat!" a voice on the other end screamed, causing Natalie to jump and pull the receiver away from her ear.

"Brook?!" she called, quieter than her sister but with just as much enthusiasm.

The last time Natalie had heard from her little sister had been over two weeks ago and Nat had never before gone more than a few days without talking to Brooklyn so she was practically giddy to hear Brook's bubbly voice over the phone.

Her time in France had been quite lonely with only one call from Brook, two from Matthew and Serenity, three from her parents, and none from her other brothers. She wasn't surprised Ryan hadn't contacted her, but she had always been close with Brandon and part of her was hurt that he hadn't bothered to call her once in three weeks she had been away.

"I miss you!" Brook exclaimed loudly, "When are you coming home?"

"I miss you too, but you shouldn't be missing me, you have Brandon's fourteen girlfriends to keep you company."

She could practically hear Brooklyn's eye roll, "None of them are my _sister_ though, I need you."

"One of them is going to be our sister someday though so at least you have the chance to get to know them."

"True," Brook laughed then said, "so how are you?"

While Natalie longed to spill all her worries and fears out into the open and hear Brooklyn's advice, she knew there had to be another reason Brook had called her.

"What did you want, Brookie?"

"Just to talk to you," she said a bit too innocently.

 _Yeah, right_ Natalie thought, "What do you really want? And what time is it there?" It was one in the afternoon in France and Nat wasn't sure exactly what the time difference was but she was pretty sure it was not a normal time to call in Illéa.

"Four in the morning," Brook said sheepishly.

" _Four_!" Nat exclaimed, "You're crazy. Why are you awake right now?"

Brook didn't say anything and Natalie could picture her doing the small half-shrug she usually did when she didn't want to answer.

Natalie ignored Brook's silence and said, "So why did you really call?"

"Well I was already up. Leo called me, he forgot about the time change but I didn't mind. I figured if I was already up I might as well use the time to talk to my favorite sister."

Natalie shook her head, laughing, "I'm your _only_ sister, Brook."

"Still my favorite though."

"Fair point."

"And to remain my favorite sister you should bring me back something _totally amazing_ that can only be found in Paris. I know the fashions there are _unbelievable_."

Natalie laughed out loud. Only Brook would have no qualms about getting up at four in the morning to call and ensure she got a present.

"Don't laugh," Brook chastised, making Nat laugh harder, "I know you have time to shop so you had better bring me something," she tried to sound threatening but that just didn't work with the enthusiasm in her sixteen year old voice.

"That is one thing that France has going for them, the shops are amazing."

"Nothing else?" Brook asked.

"Nope," Nat said, knowing that Brook was looking for dirt, but she was not going to give it to her.

"So how are things really?" Brook asked sympathetically.

Nat sighed, "It's been hard. Harder than I thought it would be."

"I'm sorry."

"I don't want to talk about that," Nat said, trying to change the subject, "so how is everything with you and Leo?"

"Good," Brook said and Nat could hear the smile in her voice, "he wants me to visit him in Italy soon. I just need to talk with mom about it."

"That sounds fun."

"It will be. What about you? You have to have done _something_ fun while you've been in France. I want to hear al about it."

"Alright," Natalie relented, tucking her legs underneath her and settling in for a much needed conversation with her sister.

 **…**

"I don't think we should be doing this," Aria whispered as she followed Logan deeper into the Report's studio.

"Relax," Logan told her, turning back to press a quick kiss to her cheek, "nobody will find us. The only people with a key to my uncle's office are him and me. And he's out of town until the show on Friday so we're fine."

Aria nodded but couldn't dispel the feeling of dread from her stomach.

Meeting up with Logan like this was risky. They could both be killed if they were caught. Even if they were shown mercy they would become outcasts. Aria would become hated and Logan would lose his job. Sneaking around was dangerous for both of them but it was the only way they would be able to see each other. Aria couldn't help but wonder if it was worth it. She had always placed self-preservation above most things in her life, unafraid to throw someone else under the bus if it meant that she would be alright. Was meeting up with Logan really worth the consequences? If they were caught there was no way for her to explain her way out of the situation.

Just as she was about to turn around and leave, Logan turned to her and grabbed her hand, entwining their fingers and smiling brightly at her, his green eyes capturing her brown ones. He had an uncanny ability of knowing what she was thinking without her saying anything.

"It'll be okay. I _promise_ nothing bad will happen."

And with those words all of Aria's worry dissolved. She trusted Logan whole heartedly and knew that he would never do anything to hurt her. Looking at him as he grinned at her, Aria knew that she would never feel as safe as she did then. Anytime Logan was with her she felt better than she ever had before. Each time she saw him she felt herself falling for him more and more and she knew there was no way to stop it.

When Logan had slipped her the note that morning asking for an afternoon picnic, Aria knew there was no way she could refuse. Any chance she had to see him, she took it. Logan had been busy shadowing his uncle and some of the other palace media the past few months and other than official palace events their interactions had been limited to stolen kisses in the hallways and sneaking glances at each other while Logan filmed the other Selected.

"You know, when you said 'picnic' this is not exactly what I had in mind," Aria said, nudging him with her shoulder.

Logan gave her a wounded look, "You know we can't do anything real right now. This is the best we can do, Aria."

"I was just kidding," Aria said, looking now, her cheeks coloring with shame.

"I know," Logan said, lifting their entwined hands and placing a kiss on Aria's wrist, "it's okay. Besides," his tone lightened, "you haven't even seen it yet. You could love it."

"Hmmm, doubtful," Aria teased, the smile returning to her face.

Logan inserted the key into the lock and turned to Aria, watching for her reaction as he swung the door open.

He was not disappointed. His smile grew as he watched Aria's face light up when she saw what he'd done.

"Logan, it's _perfect_ ," she exclaimed, brown eyes shining as she reached up and pulled Logan down into a kiss.

When she finally released him she turned back to the room, taking in all of the details. David Fadaye's office was one of the largest in the palace other than the royal family's. The large oak desk still dominated one side of the room, but where ordinarily there were couches there was now a perfect picnic laid out. The couches and chairs had been pushed to the other side of the room, leaving a large open space in half the room. A soft plaid blanket was laid out with pillows all along the border. In the middle of the blanket Aria saw a feast of picnic foods spread out complete with a pitcher of ice cold lemonade. Candles from the corners of the room gave everything a cozy glow while also allowing them to keep the lights off in case anyone walked by outside.

"I'm glad you like it," Logan said, grinning as he pulled Aria into the room and sat down.

"I love it," she snuggled into Logan's side and he wrapped an arm around her, "how much time do you think we have before I should leave?" Aria wondered, already dreading having to leave Logan's warm embrace.

It was the first afternoon in weeks that Aria had decided to leave the Women's Room and her absence was sure to be noticed.

"I think we'd be safe with an hour and anything after that would be pushing our luck."

Aria nodded and reached over to pick up a strawberry and take a bite, "You're probably right."

"It'll take me a bit to clean all of this up but I should be able to do it without anyone becoming too suspicious. People don't watch me the same way they watch you girls."

"That's true."

Logan nodded and began eating some food of his own.

Aria took another bite then, feeling resigned, she leaned against Logan, "I guess, since we don't have very much time, we better make the most of it."

The smile that overtook his face was the only answer she needed.

 **…**

Serenity sighed as her brow furrowed from looking at the papers in front of her. Despite her best efforts the schools were losing money, and if she couldn't come up with a way to fund them then she could kiss her public school initiative goodbye.

There had to be something she could do. _Anything_ to get funding for her beloved schools.

She felt a jerk in her stomach and pressed a soothing hand against it. It was as if the baby could sense her distress and it was anxious as well. It had been restless all day, dancing around in her stomach and making it almost impossible for her to concentrate. She was already tired from staying up all night dealing with the baby's squirming and now she was stressed because of the schools and she was picturing having to tell her mother that she couldn't make the schools any better. The disappointment on her face would kill Serenity. Her mother had been a teacher for over thirty years and she never hesitated to tell Serenity how proud she was of the work Serenity was doing with the schools and how much good she was doing for the children in Illéa. Serenity could _not_ let her mother down. She returned to her task with even more vigor than before.

She was so engrossed in the papers that she didn't hear the door to her sitting room open or see Matthew watching her from across the room. He cleared his throat and she finally looked up at him, though it was clear she was still thinking about the papers in front of her.

"Serenity?" Matthew asked with a small smile on his face, "What are you doing?"

"Working," she gestured to the papers and charts spread around her.

"I see that. But you're not supposed to be. You should be relaxing," as he spoke he crossed the room until he was standing directly next to her, looking down at her with disapproval.

"This is relaxing," she argued, not even lying. She actually preferred doing work from her room where she could recline with her feet on the ottoman and not be bent over a desk with her back and neck cramping all day, "besides, just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean that I have to stop working for nine months. You may have banned me from my office but there's still work that needs to be done so I'm doing it."

Matthew sighed and motioned for her to move her legs. She lifted them up and he sat on the ottoman, where he had a good vantage for meeting her bright blue eyes. The second he was seated she swung her legs back up and into his lap and Matthew smiled at her.

"I know you _can_ work, love. It's a privilege that you don't _have_ to for the duration of your pregnancy. Do you know how many women would love to have the opportunity that you do?"

Serenity did know but she didn't like it.

"That baby is your biggest piece of work right now and we don't even have a name for it. We don't even know if it's a prince or a princess," Matthew's tone got lighter the more he spoke and by the end he was grinning outright.

Serenity rolled her eyes at her husband, "I've told you, Matt, I don't want to find out. Maybe for the next one but I want our first one to be a surprise." Ever since learning that they could know the baby's gender before it was born Matthew had been begging Serenity to find out, but she remained firm in her answer of waiting.

"Alright," Matthew pouted, "but it sure would make things easier if we knew whether we were dealing with a Delaney or an Aaron."

Serenity raised an eyebrow at her husband, prompting his cheeks to color in a very uncharacteristic blush.

"I may have spent the past few days thinking more about baby names than about the meetings I was in," he confessed.

Serenity laughed loudly, "And I may have spent the past few days deliberately doing anything but thinking of baby names."

"Why, Wren?"

"It just feels too fast," she admitted, "picking a name makes it real. In a few months we'll have a live baby out here with us, and I'm not sure if I'm ready for that."

"Of course you're ready," he reassured her, "you're going to be a fantastic mother. You have nothing to worry about, but if you're really not ready we don't have to talk about this until you are."

Serenity could tell how badly he wanted to discuss this and she couldn't begrudge him that, "Alright, what were you thinking?"

"Wait you want to do this _now_?" he seemed taken aback.

"Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Well yeah, but I didn't think you would agree."

"I love you, Matt, and if you really want to discuss baby names right now we can."

Matthew wasn't used to getting his way so easily and he seemed a bit shocked for a minute, until he said, "Alright then. Can we also go find out the gender of our baby?"

"Don't push it," Serenity scolded him.

Matthew grinned, leaning back and making himself more comfortable, "It was worth a shot."

Serenity looked skeptical, "I guess. So what names were you thinking?"

"Well I just told you two of them, Aaron and Delaney, so now it's your turn to give me some."

"That's not fair, you've put a lot more thought into this than I have."

"Just pick two names you like, we don't have to decide anything now."

"Okay," she thought for a minute then said, "Jonah and Louisa."

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah. Louisa was my grandmother's name and I would love to honor her that way. And I've always loved the story of Jonah."

"What do you think of Elijah or Jessica?"

"Elijah," Serenity said, testing it out.

"Eli for short," Matthew put in.

"Maybe, I'm not sure. What about Rosalee? That's pretty," Serenity mused.

Matthew grinned, "Little Rosie Schreave? I love it."

"Hmmm, maybe not. Queen Rosie? That's not very powerful."

"She would only be Rosie to family. I like it, we should add it to the list."

"There's a list now? I thought this was just for fun."

"It is," Matthew said, rooting around her work space for a blank piece of paper, "but this will help us remember anything we really like."

"I guess," Serenity relented as Matthew began filling the paper with words, "slow down, we haven't discussed any of those," she pointed to the list of at least ten names Matthew had already scrawled down.

Matthew reluctantly stopped writing and said, "How about Kinsey? For a girl?"

"I love it, Matt, but it has the same problem as Rosie, it's just not powerful enough for a queen."

"Maybe Kinsley and we call her Kinsey for short?" Matthew suggested, then hurried on before Serenity could interrupt, "Kinsley Nicole Schreave? After her mother," he grinned, knowing that using Serenity's middle name would win her over.

"I guess you can put it on the list. Do you like Cassandra? Cassie to family." Serenity knew he would like it. She could tell he was imagining holding a little princess in his arms and knew that he wouldn't be too picky about her name at all.

Matthew grinned, "Yeah, I like it. And Flynn for a boy."

"Not for our first one," Serenity decided, "maybe our second. What do you think of Nathaniel? We can call him Nate."

"Hmmm," Matthew thought, "Prince Nathaniel? I like it. But do you know what I like better? Christopher."

"Christopher?" Serenity wrinkled her nose, "I don't like it, Matt."

"Come on, you're not even giving it a chance. Christopher Schreave. King Christopher of Illéa. You've got to admit that has a nice ring to it."

"I just don't like it," Serenity frowned.

"It'll grow on you," Matthew promised, writing it down despite her protests, "What do you think of the name Serena? Serenity and Serena. They go really well together."

"Pretty," Serenity mumbled, still a bit upset that he'd written down Christopher when she didn't like it, "How about Noelle?"

"I don't know, Wren."

"If you get Christopher, I get Noelle," she snapped.

"Alright, you don't need to get so upset," Matthew pacified her as he wrote, "if it's really that big of a deal I can take it off."

"No," Serenity assured him, already regretting her actions, "I'm not mad at you, I'm just _really_ tired."

"We don't have to do this now," he told her, "we have three months to pick a name. Right now we can go take a nap."

"You have time to take a nap?" Serenity asked, incredulous.

Matthew grinned, "I have the whole afternoon off and I want to spend it with you, so if you want to take a nap that's what we'll do."

"A nap sounds perfect," Serenity said, beaming at him.

Matthew smiled again and stood up, offering her his hands. She took them and pulled herself up so that they were standing chest to chest.

Matthew leaned down, turned to her stomach and said, "Don't worry, we'll figure out who you are. Someday."

Serenity smiled at him and Matthew saw it. He straightened up to peck her on the lips.

Serenity kissed him back but when he tried to deepen it she pulled away, "No, Matthew." She took his hand and began pulling him away from the couches and toward her bedroom, "You promised me a _nap_ and that's what I want, so don't try anything."

Matthew sighed but followed her anyway, pressing a gentle kiss to her shoulder, "Fine. For you, my love, I will be good."

"Good, because I'm exhausted," she told him with a yawn.

Matthew couldn't keep the smile off his face and Serenity gave him a weird look, "What? Are you okay?"

"I'm much better than okay. I'm perfect. I love you so much."

"Love you too, Matt," she told him as she shut their bedroom door, "but right now the one thing I love more than you is sleep, so shush."

Matthew grinned again but didn't say anything else, instead following Serenity to the bed and settling in for the best nap of his life.

 **…**

 **I really enjoyed writing this chapter, not sure why, but I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Leave me a review and let me know what you think because I love hearing from all of you. Reviews really make my day so please leave me one! And if you do let me know if you think Matt and Wren are having a boy or girl, just curious!**

 **~Jen**


	42. The First Day of Christmas

**Hey guys! Sorry about the long wait and the short chapter, but hopefully you'll like it anyway. The next chapter will be better, I promise. Thanks to my incredible reviewers for sticking with me** : Cookiedoodles168, XOStarbrightXO **(x2)** , Miss Kaydence, morethanjustastory, Scarlett **(x2)** , LeaGirlWriter22, **and** wolfofstark.

 **This chapter is kind of a filler but next chapter has a lot going on so be prepared for that, hope you guys like this chapter though.**

 **…**

December dawned on the palace bringing with it feelings of nostalgia and homesickness for most of the girls. Overnight the palace was transformed into a Christmas miracle. Decorations dominated the hallways with a trimmed tree in nearly every major room. The trees reached nearly to the vaulted ceilings and each one was decorated to the max with lights, garland, ornaments, and a shimmering star on top. Every tree was different but each one was as classy as the last and they left the palace smelling like fresh pine wherever they were.

All of the stairways were strung with garland and holly giving the holiday feel on every level of the palace. Shimmering lights made the place feel cozy, making the girls feel more at home than they had before in the country's capital building. The Christmas spirit left its mark everywhere in the palace and made most of the girls long for their own traditions and Christmas memories.

Mistletoe was hung in several places and many girls had memorized the locations of them to ensure that if they had the chance they could get a mistletoe kiss. Everything was feeling festive and if the everyone hadn't been so homesick it would have been one of the best times to be at the palace.

The girls who were gathered in the Women's Room looked at the decorations around them, each sharing some of their favorite memories from back home.

"I always loved baking with my mom and sister," Zinnia told the girls, "we would save up for months and then in December we would have a feast. We would bake something every single day, our house smelled like cinnamon and peppermint for weeks."

"I always loved the presents," Sera said, "my family never had very much money but my parents always managed to give us kids at least one present and it was always fun coming up with creative things to make for each other. I guess this year we won't have to do homemade presents though."

"I miss the snow," Cosmina confided, "without snow it hardly feels like Christmas. Everything inside looks so festive but outside it still feels like October."

All of the girls nodded except Priya and Kadence who had both grown up in warmer climates and didn't know what a white Christmas was.

Juliet chimed in with a memory of her own, "Every year on the first snow of the season, my mother would let us have the day off from schooling and practicing or whatever work we were doing. We got to spend the whole day outside. Stella and I would make snow angels and then we'd help the little ones make snowmen. My brothers would make forts then at the end we would have a snowball fight- boys versus girls- and by the end we were all so cold that we just wanted to go inside and sleep but my mom was always ready and she would have steaming mugs of hot chocolate for all of us. We would watch old movies on the television while we drank and for dinner we would always have warm soup. It was always so much fun. My brothers would go out everyday the snow was there. After the first day though I didn't really care for the snow. It was too cold and nothing could be better than the first day so I didn't even bother going out with them. I bet it's already snowed in Hansport and they've all had their snow day already," she said the last part wistfully, thinking about her family.

"I don't know what to do without snow on Christmas," Tris told them, "it was what my friends and I looked forward to. Each Christmas afternoon we would go sledding on the biggest hill in town. Since it was the holidays nobody else was there and we had the whole place to ourselves. It was _amazing_."

The girls nodded, each one lost in her own Christmastime memory.

They were silent until the doors swung open, revealing a maid. At the sight of the silver tray in her hands all the girls straightened up. They knew it was an invitation for a date and everyone wanted to who it was for.

The remaining girls were all group together to talk and everyone's eyes stayed glued to the maid as she made her way across the room and toward them.

The poor maid look terrified under the gazes of sixteen girls and her wide eyes scanned the sea of faces, looking for the girl to give the note to. Finally she saw Juliet and recognition dawned on her face as she handed the redhead the note and curtseyed quickly.

Juliet's hazel eyes scanned the paper quickly before she handed it off to the maid and nodded. The maid dropped into one more curtesy and scurried away, glad to be out of the Women's Room and away from all of the Selected.

The girls tried to hide their jealousy but nobody did a very good job. Zinnia smiled at her friend but it lacked some of its usual luster. As Juliet looked around, she saw that most of the girls were avoiding her gaze. Aria was the only one who could meet Juliet's eyes.

Uncomfortable with the newfound silence, Juliet excused herself to go get ready. Once she was in her room her maids busied themselves with preparing her for the walk through the gardens with Brandon. Despite it being December, Angeles still remained warmer than most of the country; however, it was not nearly as warm as the girls were used to and there was still a chill in the air, even in the afternoons.

Because of the cold weather Juliet's maids opted for a warmer outfit. They kept her in a day dress but gave her black fleece leggings to slip on underneath and a warm, pale pink coat. The look was completed with a cute pair of ankle boots and a black cap to cover her ears. Her vibrant hair was kept in curls tumbling down her back and her maids handed her a pair of soft black gloves seconds before Brandon's knock sounded at the door.

While her maids let him in Juliet slipped the gloves on and looked up to meet Brandon's bright eyes. He saw her and smiled before making his way over to her and taking her gloved hand. His outfit was similar to hers except he wore pants, and when their hands entwined it was through the thick fabric of their gloves. Maybe that was why Juliet didn't feel her heart flutter as it had every other time they had held hands.

"Are you ready?" Brandon asked, his cheeks dimpling.

At his smile Juliet felt a few butterflies in her stomach but it was nothing compared to the torrents that had plagued her the first weeks of the Selection.

"Yeah," she said, taking his arm and allowing him to lead her out the door and into the hallway, "it will be nice to be outside for a little bit, even if it is chilly. I've missed the gardens these past weeks," she told him.

Brandon sighed, "I know, I wish you girls could go outside, but it's safer for everyone if you stay in. I haven't been able to take you out here as much as I wanted to, but hopefully that will change soon."

"I see, you're letting us out after you've already brought the outdoors in here," she teased him, pointing to one of the numerous Christmas trees that lined the hallways.

"You caught me," Brandon grinned.

They reached the doors and Juliet gasped as she felt a chill wind rip through her jacket. She shivered a bit but the prospect of fresh air was too good to pass up. As she stepped outside, Juliet inhaled deeply and loved how the cold air felt on her lungs.

She continued their conversation from inside and began talking about the palace's Christmas decorations.

"The trees are beautiful, it just feels so different having everything already done. At home I helped with everything and here I don't have to do anything. I don't miss the boring things, but I wish I could have at least helped decorate a tree, and I know some of the other girls feel the same way."

"Really?" Brandon sounded shocked, as if it had never occurred to him the normal people didn't have a horde of maids to decorate their houses for the holidays. Juliet nodded and Brandon processed the information, "I'll have to see what I can do about that. Maybe I can get a tree for the Women's Room and you could all decorate it."

Juliet beamed, "That sounds wonderful."

"I'm glad it'll make you happy."

Juliet smiled and they continued their walk in silence.

The air was cold around them, but tucked against Brandon, Juliet didn't feel the chill. The gardens were not the blossoming wonderland they had been but Juliet relished the fresh air anyway. Some of the plants were dying and few things were blooming in the autumn weather. Most of the trees had already lost their leaves but the few that clung desperately to their branches seemed almost to taunt Juliet. They were lonely, ghostly fingers reaching down for her, reminding her of Stella's words that she would always be alone. They seemed to be calling for her to join them, the stubborn leaves that refused to fall even when all of the others did, the ones who would have been better off falling than remaining in the trees alone.

Juliet tried to shake off her morbid thoughts and focus on the positive, the fact that she was on a date with one of the handsomest, sweetest guys she knew. She felt perfectly content with Brandon, even in the silence. Before coming to the Selection if someone had asked Juliet what love was, she would have said this, what she had right now. Being so comfortable around someone that there was no need for conversation, being able to communicate just with simple gestures and touches. What she had with Brandon was a type of love and if Juliet hadn't experienced anything else she would have thought herself in love with Brandon, but she wasn't. Every time she tried to think of Brandon that way she couldn't. Her body didn't respond to him the way it did to his brother. Just the thought of Ryan made her heart beat faster than half an hour with Brandon had. And it wasn't fair.

She _should_ love Brandon. Why she didn't was a mystery even to her. Brandon was much more her type, thoughtful and sweet, but she just didn't love him. She cursed Ryan for that one drunken kiss. If that had never happened there would be nothing to stop her from falling for Brandon. But it had happened.

And it wasn't just the kiss, which Juliet admittedly could not get out of her head. He had to go and be sweet and thoughtful, just like Brandon. Ryan wasn't that way around everyone, but he was around her and that fact melted Juliet's heart. He had gone out of his way to get her a birthday present and he was the only person other than her family that had bothered to get her anything. She had the necklace on, tucked under her coat, as she walked with Brandon and she couldn't remember a time since she'd had it that she had taken it off. In the months following his gift, Juliet hadn't gotten to speak with him but whenever they passed in the hallways she would smile shyly at him which always prompted him to give her an exaggerated, cocky grin or dramatic wink and it never failed to make her laugh which earned a genuine smile from him.

Despite hardly getting to speak with Ryan, Juliet's thoughts revolved around him. She had tried to stop thinking about him, because there was no way he was as preoccupied with her as she was with him. She knew she was just setting herself up for heartbreak but there was nothing she could do about it. She wished that she felt differently, but the truth was that no matter how hard she tried she didn't like Brandon as anything more than a friend.

While Juliet had been caught in her thoughts they had navigated through most of the garden. They were currently standing in front of the fountain where she had first met Ryan, although in December it was dry and unrecognizable from that day, still it sent a pang of longing through her.

"I'm afraid this hasn't been a very interesting date," Brandon said, finally breaking the silence.

Juliet smiled at him, "That's alright, it was nice to just get outside. I've had a good time," and she wasn't lying, she had enjoyed their walk together.

"Me too," Brandon said shyly.

Silence fell between them again and before Juliet had a chance to react Brandon had leaned toward her. She thought he was going to say something but what he did surprised her even more. He kissed her.

Juliet was so shocked that it took her several seconds to realize what was happening. When she finally did, she kissed him back. It was a gentle kiss, nothing like her last kiss had been. She could tell that Brandon was being careful with her and she appreciated it but it wasn't what she wanted. The kiss had no passion and didn't last very long. When Brandon pulled away Juliet was surprised to find that her heart was going at the same speed as before he kissed her. It hadn't sped up in the slightest and Juliet wasn't even out of breath. It wasn't a terrible kiss but compared to the last kiss she'd had, this was nothing.

Brandon's bright eyes searched her face and when Juliet met them she knew. It wasn't him, the lack of passion and love was all from her. And after meeting Brandon's gaze she finally understood why.

She mentally cursed Ryan because this was all his fault. She was in the Selection, but she was falling in love with the wrong prince.

 **…**

 **So I know it wasn't the most interesting chapter but let me know what you thought anyway and I'll try to have the next one out sooner but no promises. Reviews really make my day and they prompt me to write faster, so don't forget to leave me one!**

 **~Jen**


	43. Who Will Save You Now?

**Hey guys! Hope you've all been having an awesome week and enjoy this fast update. The next chapter is almost done so it should be up within the next few days. Huge thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter:** Miss Kaydence, jess120, Ashley Jackson, LeaGirlWriter22, **and** LadyAnj. **Your guys' support means the world to me, thank you!**

 **~Jen**

 **…**

London was in the middle of a wonderful dream when she was pulled from her sleep by her disgruntled maid.

"Miss," her maid Lexa called, shaking London's shoulder, "Miss, you have to wake up."

It was the desperation in Lexa's voice that finally roused London.

London rolled toward the edge of her bed, her eyes still closed and her brain half asleep. She let out a yawn and sat up, stretching, "What is it, Lexa?" she tried to lay back down but felt Lexa's hand grabbing her arm and trying to pull her up.

"Please, _please_ wake up, Lady London."

Lexa was almost in tears and the blatant panic in her voice finally convinced London to sit up and open her eyes. Once she was up most of the details that had been hazy sharpened before her eyes. Lexa's big eyes were pooled with tears and her hands were shaking as they tried to pull London to standing. Papers were strewn around from London's coffee table where before they had been stacked neatly. But the biggest thing that London noticed, the thing that finally woke her up and left her with a feeling of ice cold dread in her veins, was the siren wailing in the background.

"What's going on?" London asked, standing up and facing Lexa, "Are we under attack?"

"Here," Lexa tugged open London's robe and offered it to her, deliberately avoiding the question, which was all the answer London needed.

London threw her arms into the thin robe and groped around on the floor for her slippers. When she finally located them she jammed them onto her feet and stood up, looking around her room, but she wasn't sure what for. She was tempted to grab her phone from its place next to her bed but she knew that would give the wrong impression in the safe room.

"Will you be okay?" she asked Lexa.

"Yes, miss, but you _have_ to go," Lexa's tone was urgent and she pulled London toward the door.

"I'll be fine," London assured her, "but you need to get to safety."

London could tell Lexa was going to argue but London made her decision easier by turning and marching down the hallway without giving Lexa the chance to help her. When she glanced back, Lexa was gone from her view and London was alone in the hallway. The guards who were usually stationed on the second floor were nowhere to be seen and London hoped that they had been needed somewhere else and that they were ok, but she feared the worst.

Her room was one of the farthest away from the entrance to the safe room and as she walked down the hallway she saw Ember's bright hair disappear into the entrance. After that she was alone, and she hurried down the hallway, terrified at every sound she heard. Her slippered feet made echoes with each step and she jumped every time one was particularly loud.

She wanted to sprint down the hallway but Amelia's voice in the back of her head stopped her, reminding her that even in times of crisis a lady _never_ ran. So she nervously walked down the hallway, keeping her head high the whole time.

She was almost to the door that led to safety when a loud pounding drew her attention. It was the sound of someone running up the stairs and London instinctively froze as the steps got louder and louder.

 _Please be a guard, please be a guard_ she repeated the words like a prayer, over and over in her head, begging for them to be true.

But as soon as the man's head appeared on the stairs London stopped hoping, knowing it was too late. The man saw her at the same time she saw him. While the terror made London freeze it had the opposite effect on the man, and he began running toward her, his long unkempt hair bouncing with every step and the sharp knife in his hand dripping blood onto the floor.

It was the sight of blood that finally spurred London to action and she began sprinting down the hallway. Despite being closer to the door, the man caught up to her easily. Her lacy slippers gave her no traction and she slipped on the marble floor while the man ran easily in his hard boots.

With a lunge he grabbed her around her waist, tackling her and pulling her down to the hard floor. London screamed as loud as she could, but there was no one on the floor to hear her.

"Help me, please!"

The man shoved his filthy hand over her mouth, cutting off her sound and air supply. London fought against him as hard as she could but couldn't manage to shake him off.

"Look what we've got here," he taunted her, "one of the prince's playthings all by herself."

London shivered as she felt his hand wrap around her neck.

"Where's the prince to save you now, huh? Guess he's got better things to do. Too bad. Maybe if he wasn't so busy screwing all you girls he could see what's happening to the country. And maybe if he wasn't so self-centered he'd be here to help you now, but he's not."

The man's hand moved from her neck to her hair and he pulled her up roughly, twisting her hair painfully in his fist. He pulled her head up so that she was facing him and she was able to make out more details than before. His hair was long and ragged and his clothes were threadbare. He stank as if it had been a long time since he was properly cleaned and there was a hollowness in his face that said he hadn't had a proper meal in years.

His eyes were what scared her the most though. They were the eyes of a mad man. There was a desperation in them that London had never seen before and it terrified her. When he looked at her, his expression filled with loathing and London watched as he slowly raised the knife and placed it against her throat.

Instantly she stopped struggling, scared that the slightest movement would cause the knife to break open her skin.

She looked up into the hate-filled eyes of the man holding her and knew they would be the last things she saw. London squeezed her eyes shut instead, not wanting her last moments to be of looking at the horrible man.

She felt his arm tense and prepared herself for the cut.

"What are you doing?" a new voice demanded.

Cautiously London opened one eye and then the other, hoping for someone who could save her.

Her hopes were dashed when she saw another man who had to be a rebel.

"Let her go," the new voice commanded, "she's not part of the mission."

"But-" the one holding London started.

"She's just an innocent girl, our fight's not with her. Put her down so we can focus on the real reason we came here. We have more important things to be doing."

London held her breath, certain that the man was not going to release her. The two rebels stared at each other, a silent battle going on between them. Finally, the one holding London gave up. He threw her to the ground where she crumpled into a ball. Then, without a second glance in her direction, the two men continued their ascent up the stairs and to the third floor.

 _Brandon_ her heart said, they were here for Brandon, they were going to kill him and there was nothing she could do about it.

The only thing that she could do that was of help to anyone was to get to the safe room and hope that everyone was okay.

She stood up and gave herself a minute to make sure she wasn't injured and then she ran to the safe room entrance and sprinted down the stairs.

London opened the door to the safe room and her eyes were drawn to the other girls. A quick head count revealed that they were all there and London felt herself relax a tiny bit. She turned her gaze to the other side of the room where the royal family was.

She saw Queen Sabrina pacing back and forth, a worried look on her face. Natalie and Brooklyn were curled up on a cot together, wrapped up in each other's arms and whispering together. Ryan was standing above them, ready for whatever would happen, the protective older brother guarding his sisters.

London felt her breath hitch. He wasn't there. She was too late. She had failed.

London collapsed onto the nearest cot, all of the adrenaline from the night leaving her at once. She wanted nothing more than to lay there and not have to move for the rest of her life.

"London?" her head popped up at the sound of his voice, sure that it was just wishful thinking on her part.

But it wasn't. He was really there and standing in front of her. Somehow in all of the chaos and frantic searching she had missed him. He had been on the other end of the room talking with Zinnia but now he was making his way over to London.

He was the most perfect thing London had ever seen and at the sight of him London burst into tears. She was so relieved to see Brandon and shocked that she had survived the night. All of her pent up feelings manifested in shaking sobs that rocked her whole body. Brandon became a blur as tears filled her eyes, but she was unable to look away from him.

She had thought she'd never see him again, but he was here and he was alive and unharmed. Brandon stalled at her tears but after a second he continued his walk and was soon at her side, helping her up and pulling her into his chest. She buried her face in him, not caring that she was ruining his shirt. He stroked her hair, doing his best to calm her down after her hysterics.

Finally her crying subsided but Brandon didn't release her. He held her against him, needing the reassurance of her presence just as much as she did. They held on to each other, neither wanting to be the first to let go. London wasn't worried though. She knew they would have to part eventually, but it didn't matter. He was alive and she was alive and everything was going to be okay.

 **…**

"Your Majesties," the guard burst into the meeting room, startling everyone there, "you need to leave," he gestured at Matthew and his father, who were both staring openmouthed at the guard, shocked at his sudden appearance.

"What is the meaning of this," the king demanded, standing. He wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he trusted his head guard, and if he said there was a reason for them to leave then King James wasn't going to question it.

"We are under attack," the guard said, out of breath from his run to the conference room, "somehow the rebels managed to infiltrate the palace undetected and they've disabled the alarm. We need to get you to safety," he gestured to the hallway, where an entrance to the tunnel system that ran beneath the palace was only a few yards away.

The King began crossing the room but Matthew was frozen.

"Where are they?" he said.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Where are the rebels? If they've been in the palace for a while why aren't they in here breaking down the door?" Matthew had to ask the question even though he was dreading the answer.

The guard looked torn between answering Matthew and hustling him to the safe room, but after a minute he said, "It appears the attacks are concentrated on the third floor and that is where the majority of the guards are right now. We are very fortunate that this meeting ran late and neither of you were there for the attack."

Matthew didn't even hear the last part of the guard's statement, he was focused on the first part. That the attack was only on the third floor. The floor where his pregnant wife was. He wasn't there to protect her from the rebels. She was alone and scared.

Since the start of her third trimester it had been harder and harder for her to get up without help and there was no way she could bend over to get her shoes without him there. He _had_ to get up to the third floor to help her.

" _Serenity_ ," he breathed, "she needs me."

"No, Matthew," his father said, "she's lived here long enough, she knows what to do during a rebel attack. She will be fine. The best thing you could do for her is to get to the safe room so that she's not down there worrying about you."

"But she's _not_ down there!" Matthew burst out, "She doesn't know about the attack and I have to get to her."

He practically flew from the room, intent on getting to the third floor as soon as possible.

The guards standing outside of the room stopped him, restraining both of his arms as he fought against them.

"Let me go," he commanded in his most powerful voice, mustering all of the control he wished he had. The guards looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

"Come with me if you want, but for heaven's sake, _let go of me_ ," he practically screamed the last part, he was so intent on getting away from them and to his wife.

The guards released him and before anyone else could say anything Matthew was flying away from them as fast as his feet would carry him, giving the guards no choice but to follow him.

He sprinted up all of the stairs, his adrenaline fueling him. He didn't notice the distance he was so focused on getting to his wife. As he entered the second floor, Matthew finally heard the alarm start blaring but he was in too much of a hurry to feel any relief. Matthew entered the third floor and was surprised to find it utterly deserted. He paused for barely a second, catching his breath and letting the guards catch up to him, before he cautiously continued forward and around the corner to where his and Serenity's rooms were.

When he looked around the corner he gasped, a sound that echoed in the quiet. Instead of the usual guards on the floor there were three men, clearly rebels, who were gathered outside Serenity's room, taking turns trying to break down the door.

At the sound of Matthew's gasp all of them turned to him. Two of the men held sharp knives while the third had a small pistol which he held up and aimed right at Matthew's heart.

Before Matthew realized what was happening, he was on the ground. The guard who had pushed him out of the way grunted as the bullet entered his abdomen. The guards behind Matthew all jumped into action, firing at the intruders as the man fired back at them. He had good aim but the guards were better.

The three rebels lay dead on the floor as Matthew and the two remaining guards crept to Serenity's door. The knob turned easily, the lock was broken, but when Matthew tried to swing the door open he found it barricaded from the inside.

" _Wren_?" he called desperately, "Serenity, it's me. Are you okay?"

" _Matt_!" the word was a sob and Matthew renewed his efforts to get to his wife.

The barricade was being taken down from the inside and soon Matthew was able to enter the room and hold his wife in his arms.

The guards who had been with her and who had barricaded the door exited to stand watch in the hallway.

Serenity's wide eyes were filled with tears and fear but when she saw Matthew she flew to him. He embraced her, holding on as tight as he could.

"You shouldn't be here," she chastised him.

"I wasn't going to leave you all by yourself."

Serenity shook her head at him but Matthew was relieved to see a small smile on her lips.

Matthew pulled her into a quick kiss before staring into her blue eyes again, "I love you, and I'm so glad you're alright, but we need to get to the safe room."

She nodded at his words just as a burst of gunfire from the hallway made her jump. The sounds continued for a minute and they heard several grunts of pain before a guard called out, "All clear, Your Highnesses, now let's get you to safety."

Why, oh why hadn't they made an entrance to the safe room from inside this room? There was one in the Queen's Suite and King's Suite but not here which was where they needed it. That would have to change as soon as they got the chance.

Matthew shook off his thoughts and led Serenity into the hallway. Several more rebels lay on the floor and only two of the four guards were left standing. One was limping.

Matthew pushed Serenity in front of him, so that she would be the first to enter the safe room.

"No," she told him, "I'll just slow you down, you need to be first."

Matthew shook his head, "You're carrying the next ruler of Illéa. You are more important and you _will_ get to the safe room first." His tone left absolutely no room for argument.

The pounding of feet on the marble caused Matthew to speed up his walk but Serenity wasn't nearly fast enough. Rebels burst around the corner and they far outnumbered the guards.

Matthew didn't turn around, he was too focused on opening the door to the safe room to see what was happening.

Serenity wasn't, she turned her head and screamed at what she saw just as Matthew opened the door to the safe room and pushed her inside.

"Go," he said roughly, giving her another push as the rebel behind them pulled the trigger.

The bullet ripped through Matthew's chest and Serenity screamed again. His body fell forward, the door swinging shut with him. His momentum was too much and he toppled down the stairs, hitting at the bottom with a terrible _crack_ that would forever live in Serenity's memory.

She tore down the stairs as fast as she could in her state, reliving the moment in the hallway the whole way down. The rebels had taken out the guards and charged at Matthew down the hallway.

The worst part had been the expression on the man's face. When Serenity had screamed, he had grinned, enjoying her fear. When he held up the gun his grin had turned into a beam, he was thrilled with what he was about to do and the fact that Serenity had to watch.

She reached the bottom of the stairs and saw Matthew's crumpled form. Serenity knew it was too late but she ran to his side anyway. His shirt was soaked through with blood and Serenity pressed her hands against it, hoping to find a heartbeat somewhere. She kept her hands there even after she knew there was nothing left. She held onto her husband and hoped for some sign of life from him. She prayed for him to sit up and smile at her, even though she knew it wouldn't happen.

When his chest finally grew cold beneath her, Serenity removed her hand. She didn't want to leave him there and the numb that had been with her for hours was finally leaving. She was beginning to feel a pain in her heart and she wanted nothing more than for Matthew to make it go away. But that wouldn't happen. Her pain was only just beginning.

She leaned over Matthew, pulling his limp body into her arms and she wailed.


	44. The End?

**So I didn't write last chapter just to be a terrible person, it was necessary to move the plot along and I hope you guys realize that. Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter even though it was sad:** Cookiedoodles168, LadyAnj, wolfofstark **(x2),** morethanjustastory **(x2),** Miss Kaydence, jess120, **and** XOStarbrightXO.

 **Sorry this chapter is shorter but I wanted to give you something after last chapter.**

 **…**

The days following Matthew's death were some of the longest and quietest for the residents of the palace. It seemed that everyone was in a daze and didn't know what to do.

Amelia was the only one who was able to function somewhat normally, but she was much more stressed than usual since she had to deal with planning Matthew's funeral, a task she never dreamed she would have to do.

The King was also forced to go about his daily schedule despite the loss of his oldest son and heir. He was hardly able to function though and the advisers understood, all of them taking on more responsibilities to try and give the royal family time to grieve.

Brandon hadn't been able to function the past few days, staying in his room and refusing to see anyone. He had gone to two meals in the dining room but he couldn't stand facing all of the Selected and their pitiful gazes. He also felt guilty when he looked at them, knowing that it could have been one of them that had taken the bullet and it would have been all his fault.

Brandon knew that he couldn't avoid them forever though. His mourning period could only last so long and then he would have to return to the Selection. Except this time he would have to speed up the process. With Matthew gone Brandon would be expected to take on more responsibilities and attend more meetings, he would also have to pick a wife sooner.

King James and Queen Sabrina had been planning on stepping down once Matthew and Serenity's child was born. They had been looking forward to their retirement but now they would have to wait a few more years. Since Ryan was unmarried and it appeared he would stay that way, Brandon and his wife would become the interim King and Queen until Serenity's child came of age. But in order for that to happen, Brandon would have to have a wife.

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, messing it up but not caring in the slightest, he had too many other things to worry about that were more important than his appearance.

His father had been urging him to cut it down to the Elite even before the attack on the palace, but now Brandon knew he could no longer avoid the task.

He sat at his desk and looked at the forms of all the remaining girls, trying to make his decision. It was hard for him to focus, he just lacked the motivation to do much of anything. He was too busy thinking about attending Matthew's funeral tomorrow. It was a televised event, a chance for the country to mourn Matthew's loss as well, but for Brandon it just added more stress to what was already going to be one of the worst days of his life. It was hard to grieve when there was a whole country watching you.

It would also be the first time Brandon would see his sister-in-law since the attack. Guards had discovered her clinging to Matthew's body in one of the tunnels and it had been hard to pry her away. Since then she had spent every minute in her room, not speaking to anyone, even her maids. Brandon was seriously worried about her but he respected her privacy enough not to bother her. When she was ready, he knew she would come to them, but until then Brandon wanted to give her whatever small peace he could, even if it wasn't much.

A quiet knock sounded on his door. Brandon pushed his chair away from his desk and crossed the room. He opened the door and wasn't surprised to see his little sisters standing there. Without a word Brook entered his room and wrapped him in a hug, burying her face in his chest.

Brandon held her close until she let go and moved to sit on his bed. She hadn't cried this time, which was progress from the past few days. Brandon knew that Brook was hurting in a way that the rest of them weren't. Her and Matthew had always had a special bond since they were the oldest and youngest children. Matthew was the only one old enough to remember when Brook was born and what she was like as a toddler. The two had been inseparable for years and it was clear that the loss was hardest on the youngest girl. Her perpetual optimism seemed to be gone and Brandon hadn't heard her laugh in what felt like forever.

Natalie was next and she hugged Brandon hard enough for him to lose his breath, but he would never dream of complaining. He held her tight, comforted by her presence. He didn't know what he would do when she was on the other side of the world and he couldn't be comforted by her every day.

"Love you, Nattie," he whispered to her.

She nodded but didn't release him, "Love you too."

He held onto his sister until he felt her go limp in his arms. When that happened he gently led her over to the bed where she promptly collapsed, silent tears running down her face.

Brandon's heart ached to see her like that but there was nothing he could do to ease her pain. There was nothing he could do to ease his own pain. They found comfort the only way they could, just by being in each other's presence.

"Are you picking already?" Brook asked, pointing to the pile of forms on his desk. Her voice was hoarse from disuse and all Brandon could do was nod at her.

"Tonight, after dinner."

Brook nodded. She knew how hard it was going to be for him. She moved over to his desk and began looking through the thicker pile, the girls who would be staying.

She didn't say anything and Brandon took that to mean she had no objections to his choices. Or maybe she just didn't have the energy to argue. Either way Brandon was glad she wasn't making him second guess himself, he'd had a hard enough time picking already.

The three siblings stayed together until dinnertime. They walked to the Dining Room together but they had to separate once they were inside, each of them going to their own spot. Matthew's empty chair sent a pang to Brandon's heart every time he looked at it. He made sure to keep his head turned the other way.

The meal passed slowly and quietly. The only sounds in the room was silverware scraping the plates and the occasional cough from one of the girls. There was none of the usual chatter from the Selected and Brandon could feel their concerned gazes on him but he kept his eyes firmly on his plate.

Brandon wasn't able to eat a bite, instead pushing the food around his plate until it was cleared away. He wasn't sure if his lack of appetite was because of Matthew or the dread of what he was about to do. Maybe it was a combination of both.

When the last plates had been cleared away Brandon waited another minute before standing and clearing his throat.

Instantly every eye in the room was on him. He continued to avoid the girls' gazes, instead keeping his eyes locked on the far wall behind them.

"Um," he started, not sure how to go about this elimination, "certain events from the past few days have made me realize how dangerous it is to have all of you here. It's unfair to keep some of you here and in danger when there is no chance of us being together. You deserve better than that. You deserve to be safe at home with your families." It was only as he said the words that he realized how true they were. The girls should be with their families, not stuck here in Angeles. "I cannot in good conscience keep you here when I know something could happen to you. For that reason, I have decided to cut the Selection down to the Elite."

There were several gasps at his words and from the corner of his eye he saw the girls exchanging nervous glances.

"Of course if anyone would like to leave, you are welcome to," he paused, waiting to see how many girls would take his offer to return home, but after a minute where no one said anything he continued, "you are all invited to stay for the funeral tomorrow but if you would like to leave before then I completely understand. For those of you who will be staying," he finally looked at the girls and met the eyes of some of the ones he had chosen to be the Elite. All of them were looking worried but he could see their genuine concern for him and his wellbeing. These were the girls who he cared about the most and he was going to keep them in danger. Make them stay in the palace that hadn't even been enough to protect his brother? "No."

He didn't realize he'd spoken the word out loud until he saw the confused looks on the girls faces.

"No," he repeated, louder this time, "I can't do that to you," he looked around at all of the girls, the ones he would have eliminated as well as the ones who would have stayed.

"You're going home," he announced, "you're _all_ going home."

 **…**

 **Sorry but not sorry for the cliffhanger. Hopefully the next chapter will be out soon but until then you guys will have to remain in suspense!**

 **Please don't hate me!**

 **~Jen**


	45. Breakaway

**Hey guys! Sorry for the cliffhanger last chapter but it did get you all worked up! Hopefully this chapter clears things up. Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time:** Elmers glue, XOStarbrightXO, Miss Kaydence, LadyAnj, morethanjustastory, wolfofstark, LeaGirlWriter22 **(x2)** , Cookiedoodles168, A Fan **(x2)** , Random, and Sophia.

 **…**

The dining room burst into noise after Brandon's announcement, all of the girls talking over each other and trying to figure out what was going on and if Brandon was serious. His father stared at Brandon as if he were crazy and even Brook looked shocked at her older brother.

Brandon looked at the girls for their reactions. Most of them were shocked but there were a few exceptions. Amara's green eyes were heartbroken and Brandon couldn't look at her without feeling shame. Cosmina simply stared at him, as if she didn't know him at all. Zinnia looked ready to burst into tears and Priya was analyzing him, trying to figure out why he had just said what he did.

Brandon cleared his throat and instantly all of the girls quieted, staring at him expectantly.

"I know you probably have lots of questions, but if you go to your rooms I'll be by to talk with each of you later. You are all still welcome to stay for the funeral tomorrow, but after that there will be cars waiting to take you to the airport."

The girls continued looking at him, certain that he was going to say more. He wanted to, he wanted to explain to them, to apologize, but he couldn't face them any longer. He turned and exited the dining room without looking back.

He had barely made it into the hallway when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. Brandon turned and saw his father striding toward him, looking furious.

"What was that?!" the king demanded, "You can't just end the Selection, especially not right now. Go back in there and explain to the girls that you changed your mind and then announce the Elite."

Brandon shook his head, "I am _not_ keeping any of those girls here where they're in danger every minute."

"You can't just end the Selection, you need to pick a bride not only to appease the people but to help Serenity. She can't be expected to take on all of the responsibility right now. She is pregnant and just lost her husband. Don't be selfish, Brandon."

The King was trying to make Brandon feel guilty, and it was working.

"I'm not ending the Selection," he tried to explain, "but the girls _are_ going home."

King James looked like he wanted to question Brandon more but instead he just pointed down the hallway, "My office now. I'll be with you shortly."

Brandon nodded and trudged all the way to his father's office where he entered and sat on a couch, waiting. He didn't have to wait very long. It couldn't have been more than five minutes when the door swung open.

Brandon had expected his father to be alone so he was shocked when he heard the distinctive click of heels following his father into the room. He looked up and was surprised to see Amelia following the King into the room. She had a notebook and pen in her hand and a no-nonsense look on her face.

"What were you thinking?" Amelia asked without preamble.

"I was thinking that I don't want anyone to die because they stayed here for me!" Brandon exploded.

Amelia looked a bit taken aback, "I meant what were you thinking of doing to pick the Elite."

"Oh," Brandon felt properly chastised and his cheeks warmed in shame.

"And how you were planning to run the Selection with the girls no longer at the palace?"

"They're going home?" he asked, shocked that his father had agreed.

"Yes, we've discussed it and think it would be best to give you and your family time to grieve without as many distractions. You do still need to pick an Elite though, and because of recent circumstances whomever you pick will need more training than we originally thought. You may send the girls home for now but before you pick your bride they will need to return to the palace to work with me about some of the responsibilities they will be taking on."

Brandon nodded, those were fair circumstances.

"You still need to have some contact with the Elite to decide who to eliminate. Rather than bring all of them back we were thinking you could visit them."

"What?"

"It is typical for the prince to meet the families of the Elite at some point. Rather than have all of the families come here, you will go to them."

" _What_?" It seemed like that was the only word Brandon knew at the moment.

"After the holidays you will spend one week in the province of each Elite. That gives them three weeks to spend home with their families and to prepare for your visit. The next ten weeks you will spend visiting the Elite and at the end of that they will come back to the palace to resume their training with me."

His father, who had been silent since Amelia's entrance, finally spoke, "Not all of the girls will return. Since we are allowing you to do this you need to speed up the Selection. After you have visited all of the girls you can bring back five to the palace. They will train with Amelia for a few weeks then we will hold the Convicting. After that I expect you to narrow it done to the final three and then you will pick your wife."

It all sounded so fast to Brandon and he wasn't ready for it. He opened his mouth to argue but was cut off by his father.

"This is a compromise, Brandon. If you don't like the terms than your Elite can remain here. However, if you want to send the girls home then you need to meet us halfway. The choice is yours but the terms are nonnegotiable."

Brandon thought for a minute before jerking his head in a quick nod. If it was the only way to keep the girls safe then he would do it.

"When were you planning on notifying the Elite of what will be happening?"

Brandon sighed, running a hand through his already messy hair, "I'll do it tonight, after I finish eliminating the girls.

Amelia nodded and readied her pen, "And have you decided who you want to be in your Elite?"

Brandon tried to remember the list he had come up with at dinner but it felt like years ago.

"Ladies London, Juliet, and Taylor," he said, picking the easy ones first. They were the three most popular with the people and all girls that he had wanted to keep anyway.

Amelia jotted their names down then turned to him expectantly.

He thought about the remaining Selected and the girls he knew he wasn't ready to say goodbye to, "Amara, Cosmina, Seraphina, and Zinnia."

There were only three spots left and they were the hardest for Brandon to choose, "Vivian and Kadence," he named off two of the girls who he cared about but still needed to get to know better.

There was only one spot left and seven amazing girls. Sage could always make him laugh and he was never bored around her, but with her temper could she handle being a princess? Priya was the obvious choice but Brandon couldn't figure out if his feelings for her were anything beyond friendship.

He thought about each of the girls left and finally made his decision, "Lady Aria."

Amelia nodded and wrote down the name but the King looked less than thrilled.

"Thank you for your help, Amelia. I appreciate everything that you've done for this family and I am sorry for the amount of stress we've put on you this week."

Amelia sank into a deep curtsy, "There is nothing to apologize for, Your Majesty. I wish both of you a good night and I'll see you in the morning."

She exited quickly and shut the door behind her, leaving the father and son alone.

Brandon looked at his dad expectantly and the King sighed.

"Are you set on your Elite? Sure you don't want to change any of them?"

Brandon nodded, "Yes, why?"

"There's something you don't know."

Brandon raised an eyebrow, waiting.

"Earlier tonight a maid discovered Logan Wesley and one of your Selected. They were in a. . . compromising position. She reported them immediately but no action has been taken yet. She saw them from a distance and was unable to identify the girl, though she seems certain it was either Lady Kadence or Lady Aria. Other than this maid's account there is no proof of this event."

"Are you calling her a liar?" Brandon asked, his angry tone a result the hurt he felt from the words. One of the ten girls he cared enough about to keep clearly didn't care for him and instead was fooling around behind his back with someone who was supposed to be his friend.

"No, I'm saying that the public does not know about this and without any evidence I see no need for them to."

"But isn't the punishment for that death?" Brandon asked, confused but not necessarily unhappy. Just because one of them had cheated on him didn't mean he wanted them dead.

"Usually," his father said, standing up. When the light hit him Brandon saw streaks of grey in his father's brown hair that he had never noticed before. The King seemed to have aged years in a matter of days, he let out a long sigh, "but I, for one, am quite sick of death."

Brandon watched his father walk over to the door and then turn around, "The choice is yours, Brandon. Whether or not to punish the girl. I will stand behind whatever you choose, I just wanted you to know before you picked the Elite."

Brandon nodded gratefully as his father shut the door behind him. He let out a sigh that echoed in the empty room. He didn't know what he was going to do with the girl who had cheated on him, but she was not remaining in the Elite. Whichever girl it was, she would be leaving and Tristyn would be taking her place. Now he just had to find out which girl it was.

 **…**

Priya looked up when she heard the knock on her door, sure she was imagining things. She wasn't expecting anyone, and after what Brandon had just told her she wasn't sure she wanted to talk to anyone.

It wasn't that she was upset about being eliminated, it was more embarrassment. She didn't feel anything for Brandon and knew he didn't have feelings for her, but still. Being sent home before the Elite when many people had thought she'd be in the final three was a bit embarrassing. And if she was honest with herself she actually would miss being in the Selection. She'd made some true friends and was sad to have to say goodbye.

Priya had enjoyed being in the Selection and having a break from some of her work. She liked learning about protocol and diplomacy, and much to her own surprise, she was very good at them. She still enjoyed politics but now that wasn't the only thing she could go into. She was sure that she could have her pick of whatever job she chose. With her impressive Selection connections and her skills Priya knew that she could do anything she put her mind to. Except stay in the Selection it seemed.

She was in the middle of packing up the few belongings she'd brought when the knock sounded at her door again.

Priya had dismissed her maids for the night so she hauled herself to her feet and walked over to the door. Though she knew it was illogical, part of her hoped that it was Brandon, back to tell her that she wasn't eliminated after all, it had been a mistake and he wanted her to stay.

Of course it wasn't Brandon standing on the other side of her door, but who it was surprised her even more.

"Miss Amelia," she said, surprised but quickly recovering and dropping into a curtsey, "would you like to come in?"

"Thank you, Lady Priya," Amelia said as she entered the room and took a seat on an armchair.

"I'm not a lady" Priya corrected, sitting across from her, "not anymore. I assume you already knew."

Amelia nodded, acknowledging Priya's words, "That's actually what I wanted to talk with you about," she paused, seeming to collect her thoughts, "I cannot tell the prince who to eliminate, much as I may sometimes wish to. He makes the decisions on his own without consulting me," she met Priya's eyes and said sincerely, "I strongly disagree with his decision to send you home, but there is nothing to be done about that now."

"Thank you," Priya said, not feeling much better but grateful for the compliment.

"Are you planning to continue your work as an advisor in training right away?" Amelia asked.

Priya shook her head, "I don't really know what I'm going to do. Eventually I'd like to get back into politics, but for the immediate future I was planning on relaxing a bit."

Amelia nodded like it made sense to her and her eyes scanned around the room. They stopped on Priya's half-packed suitcase.

She sighed, "I was hoping to catch you before you began packing but it appears I was too late."

Priya was a bit confused but she knew better than to interrupt Amelia.

"I understand if you say no," Amelia told her, leaving Priya more confused than ever, "but I hope you will say yes."

Priya couldn't hold her tongue any longer and burst out, "Say yes to what?"

Amelia acted as if Priya hadn't spoken, "Due to recent events I have been given an extra amount of work that I was not planning on. I could handle it, but I'm not as young as I once was," she looked at Priya's young face as she spoke, "some help would be very nice and I couldn't think of anyone I would rather have assist me."

" _Me_?" Priya whispered.

"You are more than qualified," Amelia told her, "I've worked with you these past few months and I know you could handle the job. Training the Elite will not be easy but I think having someone the girls already know and trust would be good for them and make the process quicker. I understand if you want a break from all of this though. I just hope you'll consider it."

Priya didn't have to consider it though, it was everything she had been looking for. She turned to Amelia with shining eyes and said, "I'd be honored."

 **…**

Aria and Kadence sat next to each other on a couch in Brandon's office. They wore identical looks of confusion on their faces and Brandon couldn't blame the maid for being unable to differentiate them. If it wasn't for Aria being slightly taller Brandon wasn't sure he could tell them apart.

"Do you know why you're here?" Brandon asked them.

Kadence shook her head, her big brown eyes full of confusion. Aria looked lost too but she didn't shake her head.

With a sigh Brandon dropped into his chair on the opposite side of the desk from them.

"Earlier tonight a maid saw Logan Wesley doing something he shouldn't have been doing. Do either of you know anything about that?" he asked the question with a light tone but he paid careful attention to their reactions.

Aria stiffened, every muscle on her body going into high alert while Kadence's brow crinkled, making her look more confused than ever. For being an actress, Aria's reaction wasn't good and it told Brandon which of them was guilty.

"What did Logan do?" Kadence asked.

Brandon stared right at Aria as he answered. She refused to look up and meet his eyes, "He was caught with one of the Selected, a crime that is punishable by death, for _both_ of them."

Aria slunk lower in her seat, but Kadence shot up, "What? That's crazy! He would _never_ do that! And why are you asking _us_ about it?"

It seemed that when she said it she realized the answer. She turned to Aria, disbelief written all over her face. Aria continued her careful examination of the carpet, not looking up.

"The maid was unable to identify who he was with, but she seemed certain it was one of the two of you," he let his sentence trail off, hoping one of them would confess. When they didn't he continued, "If only whoever it was came to me sooner, we could have worked it out, but now something has to be done. You were both members of the Elite but now one of you will retain that status and the other won't," he looked at both girls, waiting for them to say something. Finally he just asked, "Which of you was with him tonight?"

Both of them remained silent. Aria had finally looked up and the girls were looking at each other, seeming to have a silent conversation.

Finally Kadence looked up and met Brandon's eyes, "It was me."

Brandon's face must have shown his shock. He knew Kadence was innocent. He waited for Aria to speak up but she didn't. She was staring at the floor again, ignoring what was happening around her.

"Are you sure?" he wondered.

Kadence nodded.

"So you are confessing guilt to treason? A crime you could be _killed_ for?" he asked, wanting to make sure she understood the full impact of what she was doing.

Kadence cast a glance at Aria before steeling herself and nodding again.

Brandon stood, drawing the gazes of both the girls, "Alright, that was all I needed," he told them, "Kadence, you may return to your room, a guard is waiting in the hallway to escort you, do not try to go anywhere else or he will be forced to take action against you."

Kadence nodded, looking terrified at the thought.

"Lady Aria," he turned to the other girl, "welcome to the Elite."

It seemed like Aria didn't even hear him. With one last glance Kadence left the room.

The second the door closed Aria lifted her head and looked at Brandon, "What's going to happen to her?" she whispered, guilt clearly written on her face, "And Logan? What are you going to do to him?"

Brandon sighed and sat down again, putting his head in his hands, "I don't know," he answered truthfully, "I really don't know."

 **…**

 **This was a sad chapter to write but it had to happen. Sorry to send home some of the really great characters I got but at least they haven't left yet so we'll still get to see them next chapter.**

 **Let me know what you guys thought of the Elite picks. Any changes you would have made?**

 **Hopefully next chapter will be out soon but I'm not sure when.**

 **Thanks for sticking with me!**

 **~Jen**


	46. When I'm Gone

**Hey! I can't believe it, this story has more than 400 reviews! That seriously blows my mind, all of you are so incredible!**

 **Sorry about the long wait between chapters, hopefully it was worth it. There's a poll up on my profile about which of the Elite's families you'd like to see Brandon with when it gets to that part of the story. Go vote on that if you have girls you really want to see.**

 **Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter, you're the best:** Miss Kaydence, XOStarbrightXO, LeaGirlWriter22, wolfofstark, morethanjustastory, A Fan, **and** Scarlett **(x3)**

 **…**

The day of Matthew's funeral had been one of the longest in Amara's life. It wasn't just because she had to get up early to be ready in time or the fact that she'd sat through the funeral completely numb, unable to register what was happening. It was the fact that in less than twelve hours she would be home. She would step off the plane in Baffin, where the Saxtons would be waiting for her. It would be as if these past few months hadn't happened. Like her life hadn't been irrevocably changed by a piece of paper and a picture.

It seemed like only a few days ago she had been one of thirty five girls who had the opportunity of a lifetime. It felt like just yesterday she had made some of her best friends and found a place where she felt accepted and loved. And now she had to leave. Now, she was one of only ten girls who made up the Elite. But she still had to return home. If she could even call Baffin her home. After only a few months spent in the palace with the Selected girls it already felt like more permanent than her twelve years in Baffin had.

Amara hated to leave but she knew it was necessary. The events of the day had already proven that. Prince Matthew was dead and there was no telling who would be next. It was safer for everyone if the Selected weren't at the palace. Maybe if the guards hadn't been helping the Selected, Matthew would still be alive.

If the Selected leaving meant that the rest of the royal family had a better chance of surviving than Amara didn't mind leaving at all. After seeing all of them at the funeral today, Amara couldn't imagine what another death in their family would do to them.

That morning Brook had tears falling down her face the entire time, and when they'd closed the lid to the casket she had wailed so loudly the whole room had echoed. Her only comfort had come from Lorenzo, who had flown in from Italy just to be with her. She had refused to talk with anyone else.

The King and Queen had stood apart from everyone else, watching silently as their eldest son was buried. The Queen had tears falling down her face the whole time while the King remained stoic, trying to appear calm while inside he was falling apart.

Natalie and Ryan had stood together, finding comfort in each other as the funeral for their brother progressed.

Serenity had been the hardest to watch. She was supposed to speak during the funeral but had collapsed into sobs halfway through. The waterproof makeup her maids had given her was no match for her grief and before the funeral was over her beautiful face had dark streaks running down it. Amara had thought it made her even more beautiful though. Her tears were a testament to how much she had loved her husband. Serenity had tried to be composed but Amara knew it was hard. Amara was sure that if it had been Brandon's body and not Matthew's she would not have been nearly as dignified as Serenity.

Amara hadn't been able to watch Brandon during the funeral. Seeing him in pain made her want to comfort him but she knew she couldn't. He had tried to hide how he felt and appear strong in front of the Elite but Amara had seen through it. She hoped that with all of them leaving Brandon would be able to work through his grief, but she feared that he would be too focused on his newfound responsibilities.

Amara sighed and was brought out of her musings to focus on what was in front of her. She was the first girl down on the lawn by the limos, but she didn't get in. It seemed wrong to leave like that. There should be more. She had lived with these girls for the last few months and she couldn't leave without saying goodbye.

She could tell that the limo driver was anxious to leave, but he would just have to wait. Amara was _not_ leaving before she had a chance to speak with her friends one last time. After all, there was no guarantee that she would be coming back in twelve weeks. When Brandon had told her that she was a member of the Elite he had also explained the deal he struck with his father. Amara knew that only five girls would be invited back to the palace and ever since learning that all of her relief at being in the Elite had left her and worry replaced it. She just _had_ to make it back. She couldn't be stuck in Baffin for the rest of her life, there was _no_ way she would let that happen.

Amara turned and looked at the towering palace behind her, the first place to ever truly feel like a home for her. All of the Selected were her family and Amara couldn't imagine her life without them in it. No matter who Brandon chose, Amara promised herself that this would not be the last time she saw the girls or the palace. Someday, she would return.

As she was thinking that, she saw the doors to the palace open and three more girls walked out. Sage was laughing at something Seraphina said and Cosmina walked beside them, a bittersweet smile on her face. Amara noticed that the other girls had all changed out of the dresses they wore to the funeral and into something more casual for traveling. It seemed she was the only one who had kept on the somber black dress. It felt fitting to her though, she was still in mourning. Not just for Matthew, but for the life she would be leaving behind.

The other girls reached her and behind them Amara saw other girls appearing from inside the palace and walking over to the limos. Cosmina reached Amara first and threw her arms around the redhead. Amara felt her friend's tears on her cheek and tried to fight back her own. When the two broke apart Seraphina was waiting and she gave Amara a long hug as well. Behind Sera was Zinnia and all the rest of the Selected. Amara's makeup was close to being ruined by the time she got through all of the Selected who were there. The only ones missing were Taylor, Aria, and Kadence.

Kadence hadn't been at the funeral so Amara assumed she had gone home the night before. Taylor was always late so it was no surprise that she wasn't there, but Amara couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Aria. She wanted the chance to tell her friend goodbye.

Everyone else was gathered at the limos, not ready to go their separate ways quite yet.

"I'm gonna miss all of you so much," London told them, "keep in touch."

"Definitely," Juliet agreed.

"I mean, I can't believe I won't see any of you for three months!" London continued.

"You won't see some of us for longer," Shevonne said with only a touch of bitterness.

"And besides," Taylor said, finally appearing, "there's no guarantee you'll be invited back anyway. Only five of us will be, and why would he pick _you_?"

"The better question is why he kept you," Sage piped up, advancing on the taller girl with fury in her eyes.

Taylor backed up, looking scared despite the several inches she had on the other girl.

"Everyone here has had enough of you, so why don't you do everyone a favor and leave _now_ ," Sage snarled.

Taylor flinched at her words but didn't back down, "You're just _jealous_. You're just mad that Brandon kept me and eliminated you. You're jealous that I'm one of the Elite while you have to go back to your pathetic little life," she advanced on Sage until there was only a few inches of space between their faces.

Sage was silent for a beat before she said, "You're right. I forgot I'm not part of the Selection, which means there's no penalty for doing this," she brought her arm back and slapped Taylor across the face. The sound rang out and Taylor's cheek instantly turned red. Taylor stumbled back but Sage wasn't done. She pounced forward, bringing her fist into Taylor's face again.

"Leave me alone. You're _crazy_!" Taylor screeched, scrambling away.

"And don't you forget it!" Sage hollered, finally letting Taylor break away.

Taylor bolted into a limo while the rest of the Selected erupted into cheers, surrounding Sage in a group hug.

They were all sisters in that moment and they knew that no matter what happened they would have those memories and their time in the Selection together. With Taylor gone and everyone in a good mood the girls gave each other one last hug before going their separate ways.

Amara climbed into a limo, one of the last to leave. She had been hoping Brandon would come to see them off but it appeared he wouldn't. Amara didn't give up hope that easily though and she was sure he would come out on the palace lawn any second. She kept her eyes glued on it out the back window the whole time until the limo turned a corner and the palace disappeared on the horizon.

 **…**

Brandon watched as the last of the limos disappeared from view, taking away his Elite, hopefully to safety. He knew he should have gone and said goodbye to the girls but after the morning he'd had he couldn't face them. He thought he'd said everything the night before, when he'd spoken to the Elite before eliminating the rest of the girls.

He couldn't help but wonder if he'd made a mistake by sending the girls home. Brandon knew that he would miss them, he just hoped that keeping them away from the palace would be all it took to keep them out of harm's way.

He didn't have any more time to ponder the fate of the girls because a knock sounded on his door. Brandon already knew who it was but he wasn't prepared for the sight when the door swung open.

For the first time since he'd met her, Aria's face was free of makeup. He lips seemed smaller without their usual coating of red and dark circles were under her eyes. She looked as exhausted as Brandon felt.

When he opened the door Aria stepped in without a word. Brandon gestured to the empty chair across from his desk before taking his own seat.

"You asked to speak with me?" he prompted Aria.

The brunette nodded, steeling her courage before answering him, "I wanted to tell you the truth."

"About what?" Brandon wondered, though he knew full well what she would say.

"Kadence is innocent. I'm the one who was with Logan, not her. Whatever punishment you've given her can stop. I'm the one who should have the repercussions, not her."

Under other circumstances Brandon might have laughed. He knew Kadence was innocent so she hadn't been punished, despite her claiming to be guilty. She was such a terrible liar it hadn't taken much for Brandon to get the truth out of her. She was only worried about Aria and trying to protect her, which Brandon understood but he couldn't condone her lying about it. If anyone else had judged them, Kadence would already have been severely punished and Aria getting a conscience would have been too late. As it was, Brandon had only kept Kadence under house arrest in her room and was planning on letting her leave that evening.

"I know," Brandon told Aria, "I spoke with Kadence and she told me the truth. She didn't have any punishment. She's perfectly fine," Brandon assured her.

The look of relief on Aria's face was instantaneous.

"What about Logan?" she whispered.

"What about him?" Brandon practically snarled. He'd come to terms with the fact that Aria loved Logan but it wasn't easy to have the girl he could have married blatantly state her feelings for another guy. Brandon wanted to be vindictive but he knew in the end he would only end up hurting himself.

"Is he alright?" Aria wondered.

The concern and love written on her face made Brandon's blood boil. How could she sit there and act like Logan was the only one she cared about? Like Brandon and her didn't have any history together?

At that moment Brandon didn't care how mean he was being. He wanted to teach her a lesson. He wanted Aria to feel the pain he was feeling. The pain he'd felt ever since his older brother's death.

"No, he's not alright!" Brandon exploded, "He's a traitor. I thought he was my _friend_ and he did this to me. He had to pay for what he did."

Aria's face registered shock, disbelief, and pain, "You mean he's. . ." she couldn't even say the word. Tears pooled in her dark eyes and she made no effort to hide them.

"No," Brandon sighed, all of his anger leaving him, "he's alive. He's being held in the cells where we keep prisoners. I haven't decided what to do to him yet. What to do to _you._ "

"That's fair," Aria told him, "whatever you decide, I know I deserve it."

"You don't, Aria, that's the thing. I still care about you. I don't want to see you killed. I don't want to see you hurt. At this point, I don't even want to see you. I just want to forget this whole thing happened."

"What if you could?" Aria said.

"What?"

"Nobody has to know this happened. If you let Logan and me live, we'll disappear. You'll never have to see us again. Not at your wedding, not in the magazines or on the gossip shows, _never._ It'll be like we don't even exist."

"Are you sure you want that?" Brandon asked her. Going from an actress who craved the spotlight to a girl in hiding would not be easy, "What about your family?"

That seemed to make Aria pause, but after a minute she said, "They'd understand. If it means Logan and I are both safe I'm sure it's what they'd want. And we wouldn't have to stay away forever, just for a few years until the world forgets about us. They hardly care about the eliminated Selected after the Selection. Once you pick your bride we should be fine."

"If you're certain about it, then I think it would be a fair punishment."

Aria nodded.

"Alright then. Go back to your room and I'll have a guard escort you to Logan tonight. You can leave at midnight. As of then you are officially banished from the palace of Illéa. Goodbye Aria."

"Goodbye Brandon," she stood and curtsied to him then turned around and marched out the door with her head held high.

Brandon sighed and slumped back in his chair. Now that all of the Selected were gone Brandon realized he didn't have anything to do. He was left with only his thoughts and they were dangerous companions, brining him nothing but pain and strife.

Without anything to distract him, Brandon was a prisoner to his mind. He relived all his memories of Matthew, up until the funeral that morning. He felt like it was someone else who had attended, like he was watching from the sidelines as a different boy cried while they put his brother in the ground. Brandon had thought being alone and thinking about Matthew would help, but instead it left him feeling empty and aching with an agony that would never cease.

 **…**

 **Don't forget to go vote on the poll, I'll probably be giving the top two girls POVs with Brandon along with a few that I pick. How many chapters with Brandon and the Elite's families would you like to see?**

 **And as always, leave me a review, I seriously love them so much you have no idea! You're all the best and I hope you have a great Thanksgiving this week!**

 **~Jen**


	47. Missing You

**Hey guys! Sorry about the wait but things have been crazy. You know what else is crazy? One year ago today I started this story, and now it has more than forty chapters and over 400 reviews! It blows my mind that all of you have stuck with me for so long and I just wanted to thank you so much! You guys are the best! Huge thanks to my reviewers:** morethanjustastory, XOStarbrightXO, Miss Kaydence, A Fan, Cookiedoodles168, LeaGirlWriter22, and wolfofstark.

 **...**

The weeks without the Selected were some of the quietest Natalie could remember. The eighteen-year-old didn't think she'd been particularly fond of her older brother's girlfriends, but not having them around was proving boring. Nat had come to rely on their incessant chatter in the Women's Room and their laughter at meal times. Without them the palace seemed almost bleak. The Women's Room wasn't the same with just Amelia, Priya, Nat, and Brook. Although it wasn't just the Selected's leaving that made things lonelier for Nat. Brandon, her rock, the person she could count on for everything, didn't have time for her. He spent all of his time in meetings, trying to catch up. His training was so much farther behind than Matthew had been and he spent all of his time trying to be the Prince his brother was.

Natalie and Ryan had never been particularly close and the distance between them only seemed to be growing. Ryan didn't want to talk to anyone and Nat was sick of trying to break down the walls he'd built around himself.

Serenity was worse than Ryan. She locked herself in her room and hadn't been out since the funeral, even for meals. Everything was brought to her but Nat had seen the maids leave Serenity's room with the trays of food completely untouched. Natalie was really worried about her sister-in-law but didn't know what to do about it. Serenity refused to see anyone, including Natalie and Brooklyn.

Brook had been Nat's solace these last few weeks and now she was about to lose her.

"Do you really have to go, Brookie?" Nat asked sadly, knowing the answer.

Brook nodded, "It'll be good for me. I think I just need a break from everything here. It's all too much. I need time away to process everything."

"But do you really have to go all the way to Italy?" Nat gestured at the bags surrounding Brook in the main hall where they were standing.

Brook gave her a sad smile, "It's where I want to be right now."

It was Nat's turn to nod. She had known this was coming. Lorenzo had invited Brook to go back to Italy with him after Matthew's funeral and Brook had begged to go, but their mother forbid it. The Queen said that Brook needed to be with them during the holidays, which Nat was relieved about. Christmas had been hard enough without Matthew there, Nat couldn't imagine having to celebrate without Brook too. But now that Christmas was over there was nothing to stop Brook from leaving, which is what she was doing.

"It's only eight weeks, Nat, I'll be back before you know it," she pulled her older sister into a long hug and Nat tried to hide her tears so that Brook would have no regrets about leaving.

Brook pulled back and studied her sister and a teasing smile lit up her face, "I'll be back before Brandon, you know. If there's someone you should be missing, it's him."

Nat forced out a smile but really she wanted to cry. In a few days Brandon would be leaving to spend one week with each of the Elite, traveling all over Illéa to do it. He wouldn't return for ten weeks and Nat wasn't sure how she would get through them without Brook by her side. Nat and Ryan would be the only Schreave children left in the palace and it was shaping up to be a rather bleak two months.

"I'll call you all the time and write you letters, it'll be like I'm not even gone." Brook said.

Nat nodded but she didn't believe her sister.

There was nothing left to say but neither girl wanted to be the first to leave. It was only after the staff had loaded all of Brook's numerous bags into the waiting car that the brunette turned to her sister and said, "I guess I'd better go."

The two hugged one last time before Brook turned and headed outside, her thoughts already thousands of miles away from the palace and its occupants.

Natalie watched until the doors swung shut behind her little sister then she turned and faced the rest of the palace. It was only mid-morning so Natalie still had most of the day left and no idea what she should do with it. She wanted to seek out her brothers but knew that would get her nowhere. Ryan would just push her away and Brandon would be too busy for her.

Before she knew where she would go, her feet were carrying her down the well-worn path to the kitchens. Natalie had been avoiding the place and its memories ever since she returned from France. She was engaged and needed to put all thoughts of other guys out of her head. But what she needed right then was a friend and the kitchen was where her best friend was, so that's where she would go.

The kitchen was just as busy as it always was, which made Natalie a bit sad. After weeks of coming there every day she had hoped her absence would be noticed but it appeared things were business as usual. When she glanced up a few heads were turned her way but most of the staff seemed not to have noticed her entrance.

Natalie looked to the corner where she typically sat. The stool she always pulled up to the counter was still there, but the baker who always worked in that corner was nowhere to be seen and Natalie felt her heart fall. She had really wanted to talk to Bennett but for the first time since she'd started coming to the kitchens he wasn't there.

Nat had gone all the way down there though and there was nothing for her to do upstairs so she thought she might as well stay and wait in the hopes that he would come back.

She didn't have to wait for long. She heard the crash before she saw Bennett. When she turned around he was staring at her like she was a ghost; broken shards of ceramic littered the ground at his feet from when he'd dropped the platter he was carrying.

"Nat?" he asked, shocked.

"Hi," she said softly.

He approached her carefully, like she might disappear if he moved too fast. While he did that she studied him. His sandy hair was longer than she remembered but just as mussed as always, and his brown eyes still held the warmth that had first made her fall for him.

"It's been a while," he said.

Almost two months was more than "a while" especially when they lived in the same building, but Nat didn't bother to correct him.

He moved a step closer as he asked, "How have you been?"

That question was too much for Nat and all of the emotions she'd been suppressing for too long manifested in loud sobs. She wanted to tell him she was fine, but it was a lie. What she really needed was for someone to just be there for her

Bennett was at her side in an instant, tentatively wrapping his arms around her. Natalie inhaled deeply, his scent of cinnamon and spices along with his own Bennett smell calmed her almost instantaneously. She sniffled a few more times before releasing Bennett and sitting down. He leaned back against the counter and stared at her, his warm eyes inviting, and Natalie felt a wave of nostalgia so strong it was physically painful. How many times had they sat exactly like this, talking and laughing for hours. Bennett always made time for her and he was always willing to listen, and that day was no exception. He sat by her side as she told him everything that had been bothering her since her brother's death. The only time he left was to go make her a cup of tea and bring her a brownie.

Talking with Bennett made Natalie feel like herself for the first time in months. She couldn't believe how dumb she'd been by pushing away her best friend during one of the hardest times in her life. But now that he was here Natalie felt all of her troubles melt away. As long as she had Bennett, everything would be fine.

"I've missed you, Nat," Bennett told her during one of their rare moments of silence, "don't disappear like that again."

Natalie couldn't meet his gaze so Bennett reached out and tipped her chin up so she was forced to look at him.

"I mean it. Whatever I did, I'm sorry. I need your friendship, so please don't leave me like that again. It was torture."

Natalie couldn't believe it. This whole time Bennett had been blaming himself for her absence, trying to figure out where he went wrong when it was her who chose to stay away from him. She wanted to make sure he knew that.

"Bennett, this _isn't_ your fault. I've missed you too, it's just been so crazy for me. First I was in France and then everything with Matthew," she felt fresh tears in her eyes when she mentioned her brother and Bennett knew not to push her, "I shut down for a while," she admitted, "it was so hard and I just felt so lonely, but now I know how stupid that was and it's not going to happen again."

"Good," Bennet said, "because I missed you, Your Highness."

Natalie rolled her eyes at him. Your Highness was what Bennett called her every time he wanted to be annoying. When they'd first met it was the only thing he called her and it had taken weeks before he would call her by name. Now it was something he called her to tease her and Nat would never admit it, but she secretly loved it when he called her that.

Natalie smiled, "I've missed you too. I've been so lonely. None of my siblings have time for me and Serenity won't see anyone so it's just been me and it's been terrible."

"Princess Serenity still won't see anyone?" Bennett sounded worried.

"No," Nat admitted, "I'm really worried about her, but she won't let me in."

"You still need to be there for her. She might be pushing you away, but right now is when she needs you the most. Just think about how much you miss Prince Matthew, I'm sure the princess misses him just as much, he was her husband and the father of her child. She just doesn't know how to deal with her grief. I'm sure if you talked with her it would make both of you feel better," Bennett looked at Nat when he finished speaking, curious how she would take his advice.

"You're probably right," Natalie said, "I need to speak with her, I guess I've just been scared."

Bennett snorted, "Scared? She's practically your sister, plus she's like 5'2" and nice, pretty much one of the least scary people on the planet."

"I already said you were right, no need to rub it in," Nat teased.

He smiled but didn't say anything else and Natalie couldn't keep her own smile off her face.

"How do you always manage to make everything seem better?" she asked, still smiling.

"I'm magic."

Nat stood and faced him, "However you do it, thank you. I haven't felt this good in a long time," she pulled him into a hug and let herself feel safe for a minute before pulling away.

"I'm glad. It was good to see you," he watched her walk all the way to the door before calling out, "And Nat? Don't be a stranger."

She smiled back genuinely. She had learned her lesson, she wasn't going to avoid Bennett anymore, not when he made her this happy, "Trust me, I won't," she promised then turned around and left the kitchen without looking back.

 **...**

 **Alright so I'm not super proud of this chapter because it's not my best work but I really wanted to get a chapter out today because it's the one year anniversary, birthday, whatever of It Takes Two. Hope you guys liked it anyway and don't forget to let me know what you thought.**

 **Thanks for an incredible year!**

 **~Jen**


	48. Enough

**Hey! So sorry about the long wait, life has been so crazy lately. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update this, but I will continue working on it. Hopefully all of you had a great last few weeks and happy holidays. Thanks so much to my reviewers for sticking with me:** XOStarbrightXO, A Fan, Ashley Jackson, Cookiedoodles168, wolfofstark, LeaGirlWriter22, and morethanjustastory. **You're all so great and without your support this chapter would have taken even longer to write, so thanks! Also special shout out to** wolfofstark **for helping me out with inspiration for this chapter and making Brook's instagram (if you're on Pinterest you should seriously check it out).**

 **…**

Brandon knew that sending the Selected home had been the smart thing to do. It was the thing that would keep them the safest plus he could tell that many of the girls were homesick after spending so much time away from their families. He knew he had made the right choice but his heart was telling him the opposite. Without the girls there to talk with he felt lonelier than he ever had before. He was used to always having someone there who cared about him and who would listen to him. Someone who would give him advice and who treated him like he was the most important person in the world, despite every mistake he had made. He missed having the girls talk with him, tell him about their days and hearing their opinions and input when he had questions. He didn't realize how much of his time he spent with them and thinking about them until they were no longer there.

Being without the girls made him miss all of the little things he'd taken for granted when they were still there. Things like hearing their laughter as he walked by the Women's Room or accidentally bumping into them in the hallways when he was leaving a meeting. He would have given anything to see them after he finished a late budget meeting with all of his father's advisors.

Brandon had never been good with math but it hadn't mattered before. It used to be Matthew's job to attend the meetings and work on budgets but now it was Brandon's and it was proving much harder than he had ever thought. He had never given his brother enough credit for how hard the job was. Now he knew that Matthew's slumped shoulders and mussed up hair at the end of everyday were no exaggeration.

With a sigh Brandon fell back on his bed, his hair sticking straight up and his tie lopsided. Angrily Brandon yanked his tie off and discarded his jacket, laying down in just his dress shirt and pants. He sat for a minute, enjoying the silence and peace of not having anywhere he needed to be. It was nice to have a bit of free time but there was no one to spend it with. Since all of the girls were gone the only people Brandon could hang out with were his siblings. But Brook was gone, Ryan preferred to be alone, and Natalie was always disappearing. The only people Brandon wanted to see were spread across the country, away from him.

The media had done so many stories on the Selected and what it meant that Brandon had sent them home. Brandon was sure if he went into Brook's room he would be able to find tons of magazines that told him what the girls were doing, but Brandon wanted to see for himself. He needed reassurance that he had done the right thing by sending them away.

Brook was the only one of them who truly followed social media and paid attention to all of the frivolous gossip columns and shows so Brandon knew her laptop would have what he was looking for.

He got up from his bed and walked across the hall to Brook's room. Sitting on her desk was her laptop in its hot pink case. She hadn't taken it with her to Italy and when Brandon turned it on he was happy to discover that the password was still the same as when she'd first set it. _Lorenzo_ wasn't a very secure password but it was easy for Brandon to remember.

He waited for the computer to load then opened the Internet browser. He scrolled through Brook's favorites list, seeing all of the social media sites she was on and meaningless gossip blogs. Brandon knew any of those websites would have what he was looking for- information on how the Selected were doing at home- but none of them felt quite right. He didn't want the news stories, what he really wanted was to see his girls, but he didn't think that would happen.

He was wrong though. About halfway through Brook's favorites list Brandon saw a link to a blog he'd never checked out but had heard all about. _London's Tower_ seemed to call to him and before he realized he'd clicked on it the site was loading in front of him.

All of her posts and videos were there, everywhere Brandon looked he saw her face and all of the text posts he could hear her voice saying.

He began scrolling down, seeing all of her posts. The newest ones were first but Brandon didn't stop to watch any of her videos. He scrolled through what felt like hundreds of posts, all of them made after he'd sent the Elite home. It seemed London wasn't taking the time away from the Selection to relax like Brandon had intended. But at least he knew she was alright if her posts were any indication.

Brandon went back to the top of the page, ready to go to a news site to check on the other girls, but her latest video made him pause.

 _Selected Reunion_ it read. The caption on it said, _I meet up with some of the fellow Elite for a girl's day and we'll answer some of your questions from my last video._

This was what Brandon had been looking for, he could feel it. A way to hear how they were all doing from their own mouths without the media's interference.

Brandon clicked on the video and watched it begin to play. London's face filled the laptop screen and Brandon didn't realize how much he had missed her until he heard her voice.

He didn't listen to the words, just the cadence as excitement filled her voice and she spoke to her thousands of fans. Her passion was evident in every word and Brandon suddenly understood why she has been making so many videos. It was what she loved doing and she would make as many as she possibly could. Brandon couldn't remember the last time he had done something just for the pure joy of it. His desk was filled with half-finished drawings and his walls hung with paintings he'd done and pictures he'd taken but he hadn't done anything creative in months.

London's voice brought him back to the present and he listened just in time to hear her explain that her and the Elite from the provinces near her- Seraphina and Tristyn- were meeting up to drive to Fennley and surprise Kadence for her birthday.

"It's like an eight hour drive," London explained, "but it'll be totally worth it to surprise her!"

The next thing Brandon knew London's car was coming to a stop.

"I'm in Belcourt right now about to meet up with Tris and Sera to finish our drive to Fennley," London explained.

Brandon watched as she got out of the car and Tris and Sera came running out of a small house. The three girls began hugging each other, all of them talking too quietly for the camera to make out the words but there was no mistaking the joy on their faces.

The three girls piled into the car and began talking.

"I've missed both of you so much!" Sera exclaimed, her blue eyes shining, "Life just hasn't been the same without your camera following me around, London," she teased, winking into the camera, "I've missed you all!"

"I miss so much about the Selection," Tris said, "but I miss the food the most. Sorry," she said with a glance at her friends, "but I would take palace desserts over you two any day."

The two girls laughed and London spoke, "Thanks, Tris, we can really feel the love."

The camera faded out and when it came back it was zoomed in on a small sandwich shop that was bustling with people.

"Alright, so Kadence doesn't know we're coming so we're going to have to surprise her."

"I just can't wait to see her," Sera burst out, a happy smile on her face. Her and Kadence had been friends since they'd first met on the plane ride to the Selection and almost a month was too long for Sera to go without seeing her best friend.

The girls made their way inside and Brandon spotted Kadence instantly. She wasn't running around waiting tables like he'd thought she'd be, instead she was perched on a bar stool near the cash register, a book propped open in front of her.

She was so busy reading she didn't notice the three girls who had appeared in front of her.

London cleared her throat and Seraphina said, "Table for three."

Kadence glanced around the restaurant, looking for an empty table. Before she could find one, Sera burst into laughter and Kadence looked up. The shocked expression on her face was priceless but soon the brunette had raced around the counter and grabbed all three of her friends in a huge hug.

"What are you doing here?" She gasped.

"Surprise!" London called, "And happy birthday! You didn't think we'd forget, did you?"

Kadence didn't know what to say so Seraphina just pulled her into another hug and said, "We already talked to your dad and you don't have to work today. You can spend the whole afternoon with us. It'll be great!"

Kadence looked ready to burst from happiness and as her friends led her outside Brandon paused the video.

He didn't need to see anymore. All of his worries about the girls had been put to rest. Besides, when he left tomorrow Kadence would be the first girl he saw since Fennley was so close to Angeles. He could ask her all about her birthday then.

Just as he was about to exit out of Brook's Internet, a blinking notification caught his eye. It was a new message. Brandon knew he shouldn't snoop but when he saw the message was from an account with the username .falling he couldn't resist. He had a sneaking suspicion of which "London" Brook had been communicating with through social media.

When he clicked on the message his suspicions were confirmed. It was his London. The current message wasn't anything interesting- just plans for the two of them to meet up once Brook was back and London wishing her a fun trip to Italy. Brandon was going to shut off the computer but his eyes caught his name used in one of Brook's messages.

 _Brandon's just not good at expressing his emotions_ , Brook had written, I _know he cares about you, he cares about all of you and that's the problem. He's too selfless sometimes. Even if he loves one of you he won't act on it until he's certain it's what's best for the country and our family. He'll marry whoever he thinks will make the best princess, regardless of his personal feelings._

 _You're right_ London responded, _it's just hard sometimes. I REALLY care about him and I just need a way to show him that. Sometimes I worry that-_

Brandon slammed the computer closed, not wanting to read anymore. He shouldn't have gone through Brook's messages, it had just left him feeling worse than before.

Did all of the girls feel how London did? Like he didn't truly care for them? Brandon had thought he'd showed them how he felt. He'd kept them in the Elite after all. But maybe that wasn't enough. Maybe no matter what he did it would never be enough. He could never fill Matthew's shoes as Crown Prince and he couldn't find the girl he was meant to be with because he kept pushing her away. He needed to change how he dealt with the girls and fast because he left tomorrow for his ten week journey to see them. He didn't have much time to figure out what to do but he needed a plan because all too soon he would have to face the girls again. Even with this new discovery Brandon wanted to see them again, although now there was a feeling of dread around him. He felt as if no matter what he did it wouldn't be enough for them, that he wasn't enough. And he didn't see any way that he could change that.

 **...**

Serenity looked up when the knock sounded on her door but she couldn't bring herself to get up and answer it. Instead, she slumped back down in the chair she'd been sitting in and stared blankly at the ceiling.

The knock sounded again and Serenity turned her head to stare at the door. It wasn't her maid, she had learned to just come in and try to coax Serenity to eat something. Serenity never opened the door anymore so whoever was knocking would either figure that out or leave.

Finally Serenity heard a voice calling her name. It was someone she should have known, but to her everything felt muddled and the voice sounded as if it were coming from extremely far away and not just the other side of the door. She couldn't figure out who it was but she really didn't try. She simply closed her eyes and wished the noise would go away. It didn't though.

After a few more minutes her door swung open. Serenity tried to ignore the interruption but couldn't when the intruder marched over to her and shook her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Natalie demanded, "This is enough. You need to get up."

Serenity tried to shake off the younger girl but she wasn't strong enough.

"You have been in here for weeks," Natalie told her, "we're all worried about you. You need to talk to us."

"I can't," Serenity's voice was hoarse from disuse, "you don't understand. I just need to be alone." She tried to pull out of Nat's grip but gave up after a few seconds.

"No, you don't." Nat said firmly, "You've been alone for the past few weeks and it has done nothing but hurt you. You need to be around people who care about you, people who can help you."

"Nobody can help me, don't you get that?" Serenity exploded, "Not you, not your mother, no one! Matthew was the only person who completely understood me, he's the only one who could have helped me through this but now he's _gone_ ," sobs racked her body but she continued speaking anyway, even though Natalie had to strain to understand her, "He's gone and it's my fault. If I hadn't been so slow he wouldn't have been in the hallway and then he wouldn't have died. It should have been me!"

She continued speaking but her crying was so loud Natalie couldn't understand a word.

Natalie reached down and forcefully and pulled Serenity to her feet, forcing her blue eyes to meet her hazel ones.

"Serenity," she said, not harshly but not softly either, "listen to me. Absolutely none of this is your fault. Do you understand? Matthew _chose_ to protect you. Can you honestly say he would be happy if he were alive and you were dead? He would beat himself up about it _every single day_. He always wanted to protect you and he died doing that. You're dishonoring his sacrifice. He died so that you could live and just locking yourself up in here is _not_ living."

Serenity shook her head, "You don't know how hard it is, Nat. We did _everything_ together. He was the only one who could help me when I needed him and show me how to be a princess, he always knew what to do to make everything better. You just don't understand."

" _I_ don't understand?" Natalie parroted, her anger rising, " _Me_? Are you serious?" she spat, not caring anymore if her words hurt the blonde, "Guess what, Serenity? You might have been married to him but you only knew him five years. I knew him my _whole life_. He was my _brother_ and right now you need to get over yourself. You're acting like a spoiled child but what you don't realize is you're not the only person who lost someone! All of us lost someone when Matthew died. Yes it hurts, and maybe it always will, but that doesn't mean we can just give up. That's not what Matt would have wanted and that's _not_ what you're going to do. So whether you like it or not, Serenity, so help me you are going to start living again," a crazed look entered Natalie's eyes and Serenity sat in stunned silence, "I don't care if I have to drag you out of here. You are coming to dinner with the rest of us and you are going to _eat_. You're pregnant, you have the last bit of Matthew inside of you right now and if you die so does his child and I will _not_ let that happen. I don't care if you hate it but starting now you're only going to be in here at night. The rest of the time you can be in the Women's Room or at meetings. Frankly, I don't care where you are as long as you're not cooped up in here dying."

The fire was still in Natalie's eyes and Serenity had never before been afraid of the young girl, but in that moment she was terrified. Natalie truly looked ready to drag Serenity away and Serenity wasn't sure she had the strength to resist.

"Okay," Serenity relented softly, "you're right."

"What?" Nat seemed shocked, "You're going to come with me? Just like that?"

Serenity ran a hand over her belly and nodded. She replayed Natalie's words over and knew that she should have been focused on her child more than herself. Ever since Matthew's death she hadn't been feeling the baby move as much and that worried her. Matthew's child was inside of her and that baby would be a lasting piece of her husband. How could she have forgotten that?

Serenity stood up shakily and gratefully took the arm that Natalie offered.

They walked down the hallway in silence until they reached the doors to the dining room.

Serenity turned to the younger girl, "Thanks, Nat. I needed that. I needed someone to push me and to remind me what my job is here. It might take a while before I'm myself again, but this is definitely a step in the right direction."

Natalie pulled her sister into a hug, "That's okay, Wren. I don't know when any of us will recover, but the important thing is that we're trying. And just so you know," Nat told her, "having that baby isn't your only job. The people love you and I can't think of anyone more qualified to be Queen, certainly not me. The coronation was supposed to be set for after Brandon picks his wife and I doubt that will change. You should be preparing to fill the role of Queen soon. It's what you were doing before Matthew's death and not something that you should forget about."

"You really think people still want me to be the Queen?" she said, surprised, "But I'm not royalty."

Natalie nodded, "You're strong and smart and prepared, everything this nation needs. You've been training for this for years, you know what you're doing. And anyone who says you're not royalty or part of this family clearly doesn't know what they're talking about so you really shouldn't listen to them."

Serenity smiled her first true smile in weeks as she hugged Nat again.

"You're right, I can do this. I know the in's and out's of this job and exactly what to do. Those rebels didn't know who they were messing with. They never should have come after our family, but now they're going to pay. I don't care how long it takes, they're going to pay for what they did."

 **…**

 **I hope all of you liked that chapter, and again sorry it took so long. The next few chapters should have Brandon and the Elite in it so I hope you're ready for those. Don't forget to leave a review about how you liked this chapter, but also let me know how your break was. I hope all of you had a wonderful time!**

 **~Jen**


	49. When I'm With You

**Hey! I'm so sorry for disappearing like that. I wish I could promise it won't happen again but things can get pretty crazy for me so I don't know when I'll be able to update again, hopefully you'll all bear with me. This chapter features Seraphina with Brandon because she won the poll. She was actually tied with London for first so next chapter will have London and Brandon.**

 **Thanks to my amazing reviewers who have stuck with me even though I'm awful at updating:** morethanjustastory, jess120, Miss Kaydence, wolfofstark, A Fan, **and** BookishLifeandCoffee.

 **…**

It was surprisingly easy to disappear. Aria had thought that being banished would mean a hard life hiding out and staying away from everyone's eyes, especially the media's. She had thought that she and Logan would be thrown as far away from anything familiar as they could get and left to fend completely for themselves. So far, that hadn't been the case.

To start off with, Aria had been able to call her mother and have one last conversation before she left the palace. She had explained that she had been eliminated and just needed some time before she came home. Aria said that she would be with a friend and wouldn't be able to call anymore for a while. It was a good thing she had always been so independent because her mother didn't question her decision too much. It was hard being away from her family, but Aria knew her punishment could have been so much worse.

Logan had been able to get some money from his uncle and the two of them had been using it to make their way down the coast, from Sonage to Zuni and Paloma. They were not living a life of luxury by any means, but they had enough to get by with staying at cheap motels and trying cheap, local foods when they were hungry. Aria knew that the money would run out soon but she didn't want to bring that up. Whenever the subject came up it sparked a fight between the two and they had enough to argue about without looking for fights.

"Let's eat there," Logan pointed across the street they were walking on to where a man had a small stand setup and was selling hotdogs.

"Uh, no," Aria grabbed his hand and tried to drag him away, "I got food poisoning just looking at that place. This is probably my only time in Honduragua and I'm not going to eat at some hot dog stand. We're going to find authentic cuisine."

"Ah yes, the omnipresent affordable authentic cuisine. I'm sure this town is filled with it."

Aria rolled her eyes, "If we look I'm sure we can find something better than hotdogs."

Logan's green eyes caught the sunlight and shone as he said, "I doubt it. Besides, I'm hungry enough I think I could risk food poisoning."

Aria shook her head and felt the ends of her hair brush her chin. She had chopped it shorter and added bangs their first week outside of Angeles in an effort to become more unrecognizable. Her short hair alone wasn't much of a disguise but when it was paired with her makeup free face and Logan by her side most people never thought that just a month ago she was one of the Selected. The few people who actually approached her were quickly sent away. They easily believed that the girl they'd met had never been to the palace. It seemed that outside of Angeles the Selection wasn't nearly as big of a deal as Aria had been led to believe.

"I don't think so," Aria continued walking down the sidewalk, pulling Logan with her.

He smiled as he followed her but after a few blocks he came to a stop and asked, "Can we _please_ find somewhere to eat?"

"Alright," Aria began looking more intently at the restaurants that lined the streets. As she got to the halfway point she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling the sun on her face and hearing the hustle of the people around her. "I love this," she said, still with her eyes closed.

"What?" Logan said, still thinking about food.

" _This_ ," she opened her brown eyes and gestured around them, "Traveling around, waking up in a new province every week, experiencing things I never dreamed of. Being with you," the last she added with a cheeky smile that made Logan laugh, "it reminds me of my childhood. Before my mom met Tom it was just the two of us. The first eight years of my life were spent traveling around like this. We never knew where we'd end up or if mom would be able to find enough work to get food on the table. I was so little at the time that I just thought it was some big adventure. After we moved in with Tom though, I realized how bad we had it before. But now, I don't know, I guess I feel nostalgic or something. I just don't want to waste all of this time hating everything we're going through. I mean, years from now I want to look back on this time and remember all the wonderful things. I don't want to look back and see that all I did was complain, you know what I mean? I just want to appreciate things now and live in the moment."

Logan smiled at her and pulled her close, pecking her on the lips, "I know exactly what you mean. Someday we'll look back on this as the best years of our lives. We'll tell our kids all about how our banishment was and everything we did, it'll be a fairy tale."

"You think we're going to have kids?" Aria asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Aren't we? I don't know about you, Aria, but I'm serious about us. I don't think there's anyone else I would have taken banishment for. Whenever I picture my future, you're in it."

Aria smiled at her boyfriend and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, "You're in my future too, you doofus," she reached down and entwined her fingers with his before adding, "You know, I turned out liking you a lot more than I originally planned."

Logan smirked at, "I know. And you know what else? I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you. Because I don't know what's going to happen to us or where we'll be in fifty years. The only thing I do know is that I'm all in. Here and now, you and me, that's the only thing I'm certain about. No matter how hard it is or how much fate tries to tear us apart, I will never leave you. I'm yours, forever, and I love you more than I will ever be able to say." The intensity had risen in Logan's voice as he spoke until at the end Aria hardly recognized her boyfriend. She stared at him in silence until a concerned look took over his face, "Aria? Are you okay? Say something, _please._ "

"I-I-I," she stammered, "do you really mean it?"

"More than anything else I've ever said. I want you in my future, Aria. I want to spend my whole life with you. Marry me?"

Aria was even more shocked than before. She could only watch as he got down on one knee in the middle of the street in Honduragua and repeated his question.

"Aria Benoit, will you marry me?"

"What? Logan get up, people are staring," she tried in vain to pull him to his feet but he wouldn't budge.

"Who cares? Let them stare. Answer me, Aria." His green eyes met hers and in them she saw all of the love that was threatening to overflow from her own heart.

"Of course I love you, Logan, but do you really think now is a good time to get married?"

"Is there ever a good time?" he countered, "All that matters is how we feel, and I for one am _so_ in love with you. It wasn't love at first sight, but it formed gradually every time I saw you. Your personality, your voice, your hair, your eyes, your humor. Everything about you. After I got to know you, I realized you were everything I was looking for and everything I'd ever want. I never want to be without you. Let's get married right now, I don't want to wait another minute."

By that time Aria had tears falling down her face and all she could do was nod. Logan stood up and pulled her to him while she spoke, "I love you so much. You annoy me more than I ever thought possible, but I want to spend every single irritating minute with you. You had my heart before I could say no."

As soon as she finished speaking Logan crushed his mouth against hers, kissing her with all of the pent up love in his body and for the first time that day not caring about where they would eat lunch.

 **…**

Brandon was ready to get to Likely. He had left Angeles about a week ago and since then he'd been in Fennley, until that morning, when he and his security had begun the long drive to Likely so that Brandon could see Sera and meet her family. Brandon had never been a fan of long drives and today was feeling like the longest of his life, although it could just be how eager Brandon was to reunite with Sera after so long apart.

His week with Kadence had been great up until he left. Kadence's dad was really funny and he and Brandon had gotten along great. Kadence and Brandon had spent most of their time out exploring Fennley. He got to meet all of Kadence's friends and the two got to know each other much more than they had at the palace. Everything was going great until Brandon brought up Kadence's mother. He hadn't wanted to pry but he had been curious why Kadence lived only with her father. After he had asked, the whole story had come spilling out of the brunette. She told him about figuring out that she and Aria were twins and that her birthmother wasn't dead but in fact lived on the other side of the country in Waverly. Brandon couldn't say that he was surprised when he found out her and Aria were related- they had always looked so similar that it made a lot of sense to Brandon.

Once the topic of Aria came up Kadence wouldn't stop asking questions about her sister. Brandon understood that she was curious but he was uncomfortable with her curiosity. He didn't want to have to tell her that he had banished her twin and in fact had no clue where Aria was. Kadence told him that a few weeks ago she had tried calling Aria on their birthday but couldn't get through. She asked Brandon to check on her when he went to Waverly at which point Brandon had to admit that Aria had been eliminated and he hadn't seen her in over a month. Kadence had gone crazy at that, so concerned about Aria and desperate to find her. Nothing Brandon said made any difference and Kadence begged him to try and find her, which Brandon had refused. This led to a spirited argument between them and before they could work it out Brandon's security team had ushered him away, desperate to stay on schedule for his arrival in Likely.

Brandon's last view of Kadence had been out of the car window while she glared at him and tried to hold back her tears. She was worried about Aria and felt betrayed by Brandon not doing anything. It was the angriest Brandon had ever seen the sweet girl and he wasn't sure he would ever be able to regain her trust.

He was just ready for the day to be over but instead he had to sit in the car for three more hours before he would get to see Sera. By the time he got to Likely he would only have time to briefly meet her family and have dinner with them before going back to his hotel. Amelia and Priya had spent days planning out his schedules and making sure he would spend the same amount of time with each of the girls so that no one would be seen as having an advantage. They'd also found hotels for him in each province that were secure enough for him and all of the people traveling with him as well as being close enough to the girl's houses that it wouldn't be too long of a drive to make twice a day. The drives to the provinces were a different story though. This was only the second province he'd had to go to and already Brandon was sick of the journeys.

With a sigh Brandon stretched out and tried to block out the world for the next three hours. To his surprise, he was able to fall asleep and when he woke up the sun was just dipping over the horizon, lighting up the ocean in front of it. It was one of the best sunsets Brandon had ever seen and he hurried to grab his camera and capture the moment before it was gone. Even though it was the same ocean he saw every day in Angeles it felt more magical here in Likely. Or maybe it was just the fact that he would soon get to see Sera again.

"Where are we meeting her again?" Brandon asked the driver as he looked out the window, as if he could spot her amongst the crowds on the sidewalk.

"First we're going to the Province Service Office where the mayor is waiting to meet you. There will be a photo op and a short press conference and then Lady Seraphina will meet you and escort you to her house. At ten o'clock I, and the rest of your security team, will be waiting to take you back to your hotel," the driver answered.

Brandon nodded, accepting the information even though all he wanted to do was go to Sera and not have to deal with the rest of the people wanting to meet him in Likely.

He'd never met the mayor of Likely before and after that night he'd be hard pressed to remember her name because his mind was somewhere else throughout their whole conversation.

The press conference afterward was a blur as well. Brandon hoped he answered their questions in an appropriate way. He was surprised by how many questions were about policies in the country and what was happening because of Matthew's death. Normally these were the kinds of questions his father would answer, but now people were looking to him and he wasn't sure what to do. People would remember whatever he said and there was a lot of pressure riding on him. Only a few questions were about the Selection and even those Brandon didn't have clear answers for. Most of the people in the crowd made it clear that they were rooting for Seraphina but that was to be expected since she was the hometown girl. Sera even showed up early and the reporters wasted no time in pushing her to the front of the room so she could stand next to Brandon. Her olive complexion couldn't hide her blush as everyone watched her greet Brandon with a hug. That wasn't enough for him though and the room filled with cheers as he pulled out of the hug and leaned down to kiss her. She returned it with such passion that the rest of the night flew from Brandon's mind. It was just the two of them and right then that was all Brandon needed.

 **…**

After everyone had left the press conference, it was just Brandon and Sera left in the room, if you didn't count Brandon's ever present security team. And Brandon completely ignored them as he swept Sera up into another long kiss.

She pulled away after a minute and stared up at him, cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling, "I've missed you," she said as she hugged him tightly.

"Me too," he said as he hugged her back, "so much."

Sera pulled away again and gave him her brightest smile, "I'm so excited you're here."

Brandon nodded and took her hand, "I can't wait to meet your family."

She led them toward the door, "They're excited too. My younger sisters especially. You're all they've talked about since I've been home."

"Hopefully they won't be disappointed then."

She nudged him with her shoulder, "They get to meet the prince of Illéa, I seriously doubt they'll be disappointed."

Brandon smiled as they left the building, making it outside just in time to see the first stars twinkling in the sky.

Likely was further north than Angeles and in the middle of January it was pretty cold as they walked along the sidewalk. A breeze found its way to them and Brandon shivered. Sera noticed and a guilty expression came over her face.

"Sorry, I should have warned you about the weather. We're not too far away though," she informed him.

It was only after she said that that Brandon noticed the warm coat she wore and the thick scarf wrapped around her neck.

"Did you park far away?" he asked her.

An embarrassed look came over her face and she wouldn't meet his eyes as she said, "No, I walked. I should have made my brother drive, I didn't even think about you. We just have one car and I didn't want to inconvenience him, plus I missed you and just wanted to be alone with you for a few minutes. I'm so sorry, you must be freezing."

She started to unspool her scarf but Brandon placed a hand on her arm, "I'm not that cold, Sera. Keep it."

Seraphina nodded, a guilty look still on her face. They walked a few feet in silence but then Sera stopped, pulling Brandon to a halt beside her.

"Listen," she started, "I'm not sure what you're expecting, but I just wanted to prepare you. My house isn't like the palace or probably like anyplace you've ever been before. We did the best we could, but it's just not cut out for royalty," she refused to look at him while the words poured out of her, "I feel bad making you go there, but there's nowhere else we could take you and I just wanted to let you know. I didn't want you to be expecting something amazing because that's just not what we have."

Brandon reached out and placed a hand on her chin, forcing her to look up at him, "Sera, I don't care what your house looks like. I'm honored you did so much just for me, you really didn't have to. I just want to be with you and meet your family. You really don't have to change anything for me. That house shaped you into who you are and I can't wait to see it, however it is."

Sera's smile was luminescent and she took off down the street with renewed vigor, no more hesitation in her step.

As they walked, Brandon saw the houses go from mid-sized to slightly smaller until Sera stopped at one that could possibly be called a shack. It was possibly the smallest building Brandon had ever seen but it was clear that it was well-loved. The short driveway was spotless and even in the dim light Brandon could tell the house had a fresh coat of paint. He hoped they hadn't painted it just for his visit. All of the windows glowed brightly, the light escaping and lighting up a path to the door.

Sera's grip on Brandon's hand tightened as she walked up the driveway. She pulled out her keys and asked, "Are you ready?"

Before Brandon could answer, the door swung open revealing a man about Brandon's age with blonde hair and a hard expression in his eyes.

"Sera! You're back," he pulled her into a hug, effectively separating her and Brandon.

"This is my older brother, Graham," Sera introduced, "And, Graham, this is Brandon."

Brandon stuck out his hand and Graham looked at it as if he weren't sure what to do. Finally, he reached out and grasped it.

"Pleased to meet you, Your Highness," he smiled but Brandon could tell he didn't mean it. In Graham's expression Brandon saw the same thing he felt anytime a suitor came for Natalie. Graham was just worried about his sister, which Brandon completely understood.

"Just call me Brandon, please, and it's nice to meet you too."

Graham reluctantly let him into the house but made sure to keep him away from Sera.

As Brandon started to step in, Sera cleared her throat. Brandon raised his eyebrows and looked at her.

"Shoes," she motioned to his feet and Brandon looked down. He saw that Sera and Graham had both removed their shoes and lined them up near the door. He quickly pulled off his own and sat them there.

"Sorry," Sera continued, "it's a cultural thing."

"A sign of respect," Graham put in loudly.

"Graham!" Sera exclaimed, aghast.

"Seraphina? Is that you?" A woman's voice called out. A woman who had to be Sera's mother entered the room but stopped as soon as she saw Brandon. She immediately dropped into a curtsey.

"Please, none of that," Brandon said with a smile, "When I'm here, I'm just Brandon."

The woman smiled and her brown eyes lit up just like Sera's did, "It's lovely to meet you, Brandon. I'm Laila," her keen eyes swept out the still-open door and saw two members of Brandon's security team conversing in whispers, "Who are they?"

Officer Rodgers, the head of Brandon's security team, heard her and said, "Don't mind us ma'am, we're just going to ensure His Highness's safety while he's here."

"Alright," Laila said amiably, "would you like to join us for dinner?"

The junior security officer looked to Rodgers with hopeful eyes, no doubt imaging the food that Laila had cooked, which could be smelled through the open door.

"Unfortunately no, we need to stay out here," Rodgers answered, leaving no room for argument.

Laila nodded and shut the door. When she did Sera turned to her with shocked eyes and the older woman laughed, "Don't give me that look, I'll send Rania out with two plates when we sit down."

Sera looked relieved as she led Brandon into the small kitchen where the rest of her family was already seated at the table. Brandon saw a man who looked quite a bit like Graham but with streaks of grey in his hair and two younger girls, one of them the spitting image of Sera.

That one gasped as soon as she caught sight of Brandon. She leaned over to her sister and loudly whispered, "He's even cuter in person!"

Brandon laughed while Sera turned red and chastised her sister, "Rania, I told you to act normal."

"How can I be _normal_?" the teenager lamented, "There is a prince in our house. A _prince_. Sera, you have a one in ten chance of being a princess, do you know how cool that is?"

The youngest girl, who appeared to be around ten years old, finally spoke, "Is this your boyfriend, Sera?"

Sera smiled modestly at the little girl, "Yes, this is Brandon," she turned to Brandon and finished the introductions, "This is my father, Damon, and my sisters Rania and Selena."

"It's so nice to meet you," Brandon said, shaking Damon's hand. When he got to Rania he placed a kiss on the back of her hand and watched her eyes grow wide. For a minute it looked like she might swoon and Brandon smiled.

Sera jabbed him in the ribs, "Tone it down." Brandon just grinned at her.

"Rania," Laila called, "come take this food to the gentlemen outside and then we'll eat."

"It's really okay," Brandon told her, "I'm sure Officer Rodgers has food in one of his bags."

"Nonsense," Laila waved away his concern, "I won't have those men going hungry while they're at my house, besides we have plenty."

"Alright," Brandon conceded as he sat down.

He looked at Sera but Graham plopped down next to him before she could. She rolled her eyes at her older brother but didn't argue and instead sat across from Brandon.

"I hope everyone is hungry," Laila said as she brought out a big bowl piled high with chopped vegetables and seasoned with herbs.

Sera spoke up, "Mom's been cooking all day. She made a Middle Eastern feast."

"It's not a feast, Seraphina. It's only three courses."

"Whatever you call it, it's going to be delicious," Sera turned to Brandon and said, "she made all of my favorites."

"Only your favorites from my home country," Laila told her daughter, "you should be proud of your Middle Eastern heritage."

Sera grinned, "I am, Mom, especially because of the food. _Shish tawook_ is incredible, everyone should know what it is."

"And what is shish tarok?" Brandon asked, unsure how to pronounce the strange dish.

" _Shish tawook_ is chicken skewers with lemon and garlic and a bunch of other herbs. They're _so_ good."

Laila smiled as she brought out even more food, "There's also tabouli salad, falafel, and for dessert, baklava."

"You made baklava?!" Selena shrieked, "We _never_ get that!"

"Well, tonight is a special occasion."

"Can I just have baklava?" the young girl asked with a sheepish smile.

"Absolutely not, young lady," Damon said, "Your mother worked hard on this meal and we're going to enjoy all of it."

"It smells amazing," Brandon told Laila, "I can't wait to try it."

"Be careful," Sera told him, "once you try this food you'll be hooked, and I don't even think the palace chefs will be able to replicate mom's baklava."

"I guess we'll have to have them try when we're back in Angeles, although this meal is almost impossible to beat." Brandon said.

Laila smiled and set down the last dish before taking her seat.

"Thank you so much for doing all of this," Brandon told Laila, "I can already tell this is going to be an amazing week."

 **…**

 **I know that doesn't seem like it should have taken a month to write but I also had some serious writer's block, hopefully it'll clear up so I can write the next chapter.**

 **Please leave me a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. I have the Selected's POV's planned out for the next few chapters but let me know what other character's you'd like to see in those chapters as well- like Aria, any of the royals, or any other character you'd like to see. I'm going to try to work those in as well so your suggestions would be super helpful!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **~Jen**


	50. What To Do?

**Hey guys! I can't believe I'm at Chapter 50, that's crazy! So I finally figured out how long this story will be. I'm aiming for 63 chapters with an epilogue so we're getting pretty close to the end! Huge thanks to my amazing reviewers for sticking with me!** XOStarbrightXO, Miss Kaydence, wolfofstark, Cookiedoodles168, **and** BookishLifeandCoffee. **You're all the best!**

 **…**

London stood in front of the mirror in her small apartment and applied a final coat of mascara to her already long lashes. She reached a hand up and made sure her hair hadn't escaped from its messy bun. She found a stray strand and used a bobby pin to fix it before applying a coat of lipstick. London looked over her reflection again, making sure her makeup was perfect before she reevaluated her outfit. She was wearing a pair of leggings with a maroon shirt and jean jacket. She had put on a long necklace and finished the look with ankle boots. London debated changing her boots again but decided against it. She'd already gone through five outfits before settling on this one.

"How do I look?" she asked Charming, her now half-grown border collie, "Do you think Brandon will like it?"

The dog cocked his head before running over to her, knowing she was talking to him. London bent down and rubbed his ears, careful to keep his fur off of her leggings.

"You've grown so much, buddy," she lamented, "I missed all of it."

Charming looked at her with his sweet puppy eyes and she smiled, "I wish I could stay here with you, but Brandon and I are going to lunch and then he's going to meet my friends. I'll be back later tonight though. Maybe we can watch a movie like last night."

Charming wagged his tail at her and London smiled again, thinking of the previous night. Brandon had come over and it had been just the two of them. They'd ordered pizza from her favorite place and just watched movies until he had to leave. It was hard to believe this was his fifth day in Calgary and that soon he would have to leave. It felt like he had just arrived and there were still so many things London wanted to do with him.

London sighed as Charming laid down by her feet. She reached out and gave him one last stroke before standing up and going to the kitchen. She had ten minutes until Brandon would get there and she wanted a cup of coffee first. London plugged in the machine and got out a cup when she heard Charming start to bark.

She went back to the living room and saw the dog standing by the door, barking furiously.

"What is it?" she asked him, "Is Brandon early?"

A knock sounded at the door as she got there and London opened it. The smile fell from her face as she saw who it was.

"What do _you_ want?" she demanded, crossing her arms and staring down her father.

"Is it so bad for me to want to visit my daughter?" he asked.

"No, but when your daughter has been home for six weeks and this is the first time you reach out to her it's pretty bad."

"London, don't be hostile," her step-mother Cassee spoke from her place beside London's dad, "we just wanted to see you."

"Did you want to see me or just get to meet Brandon and maybe have Danika's picture taken with him?" she pointed to her loathed half-sister who was dressed way too nicely for a casual visit, "You've had six weeks to come visit me since I've been here. Do you really expect me to think it's a coincidence that you show up while Brandon is here and not in two days when he'll be gone? I'm not stupid and I'm not a little kid so you can stop treating me like I am."

"Honey, that's not what we're doing," her father said, "it's just been so long since any of us have seen you, we just wanted to stop by."

While she longed for the words to be true, she knew they weren't. Her father and step-family only cared about themselves and they weren't above manipulating her to better their position. If they could meet Brandon, London had no doubt they would be asking him for favors and invitations to royal events, and with his generous nature he would give them whatever they asked for.

"Yeah, right," she responded to her father, "I don't believe that for a minute so you can either tell me what you really want or get away from my home."

Cassee spoke up, a sympathetic look on her face, "London, I know we haven't always gotten along, but we are family. Are you really going to throw us out?"

Anger flared in London and she practically spat the next words, "What would you know about being a family? My family ended when you started sleeping with my father! All you've ever done for family is break it up. First you separated my mom and my dad then you drove a wedge between my dad and me. If I wasn't Selected and you couldn't exploit that then I know you wouldn't be here right now."

"London that is not true. I've always treated you like a daughter and Danika has treated you like a sister. The only person who split up this family is you. You've always hated us but now you have a chance to make up for that. You could help get Danika some exposure and an acquaintance with the royal family and maybe then we'll actually want to put up with your disrespectful attitude and have you in our house."

Those words were too much for London and she felt her composure snap, " _My_ disrespectful attitude? I think you need to look in the mirror before you accuse me of that. You're the one trespassing in my house and insulting me, and right now I've had enough of it. All of you need to get out, _now_! I chose to leave your house and the only thing keeping me away is my disgust with you."

Cassee stared at her stepdaughter dumbfounded. For the first time in her life she was at a loss for words and London felt a surge of pleasure that she had been the one to do it.

Before she could continue yelling at Cassee, Brandon appeared in the hallway.

His eyes lit up when he saw her and he quickened his pace, "Hey, London."

All three members of London's family spun to face him, looking shocked at his sudden appearance. London saw Danika sizing him up, comparing this teenager wearing a hoodie and jeans to the polished prince she had always seen on the Report.

Brandon didn't seem to notice her family there he was so focused on London, "Sorry I'm early, the drive over here didn't take as long as it did last night."

He was only a few yards away when he noticed the people crowding the small hallway.

"Hello," he said politely to them before turning back to London, "I didn't realize you had company, I can come back later if you want."

"It's fine," she reassured him, shooting a sharp look at her family, "they were just leaving." London grabbed his hand and attempted to pull him down the hallway and shut her apartment door at the same time.

Danika used London's distraction and stepped forward into Brandon's line of sight, "Hi, I'm Danika, London's sister," she said brightly. It was the most enthusiastic London had ever heard the girl and it was also completely fake.

Brandon shook her hand with a smile, "I didn't know London had a sister, she never mentioned you before."

"We're _half-_ sisters," London clarified, still trying to pull Brandon away from Danika, "and I didn't mention her because she doesn't matter."

"London, don't say that," her father chastised, stepping forward so that he could meet Brandon too, "I'm London's father."

"We really don't have time for this," London insisted, "Brandon and I have reservations and we're going to be late."

"It's alright, London, we'll just be a little late. It doesn't matter," Brandon told her.

"It matters to me," she exclaimed, frustrated.

Brandon turned to her, surprised by her tone, "Okay, we can go. It's really not a big deal." When he saw that London hadn't changed her mind he looked at her family again, "It was nice meeting you, I hope I'll see you again soon."

 _Not if I can help it_ London thought as she finally managed to pull Brandon away and get him down the stairs.

When they got outside Brandon asked, "Why didn't you want me to meet your family?"

London sighed, not wanting to have to explain, "I want you to meet my friends, they're more important."

"Really?"

London nodded, "My family and I don't get along. You already knew I was legally emancipated so I don't live with them. Before the Selection things weren't great, but now they're awful. Today is the first time they've tried to contact me since I've been home. Do you know how long they've had? They didn't care about seeing me, but as soon as they learned you were here they wanted to have a reunion. It just makes me really mad. I don't want them to use you so I don't want you to be around them."

Brandon took in her words with a thoughtful expression. His family was so close it was hard for him to picture a situation like London's, "That makes sense," he finally said, "I hope someday you'll have a family that you're comfortable being with."

"Me too," she admitted.

They strolled along the sidewalk some more until London pulled Brandon into a small cafe. She ordered a latte and he got a hot chocolate then they continued on their way.

"I need a lot of caffeine to get through this day," she told Brandon, "especially after dealing with my family."

"This afternoon will be easier," he reassured her.

London gave him a skeptical look, "I don't know. I love my friends but they're always super judgmental about my boyfriends. They never like anyone I date so I'm worried about what they'll think about you. I want them to like you."

Brandon smiled cheekily, "I'm sure they'll love me."

"They've hated all my previous boyfriends," she told him.

"So?" Brandon scoffed, "It's not my fault you dated a bunch of losers before you met me."

London playfully smacked him on the arm but smiled, "I guess that would be my fault."

"Good thing you'll finally have someone your friends will approve of then."

"What would I do without you?" London asked.

"I really don't know," Brandon smiled and pulled her closer.

London leaned against him and thought the same thing. Ever since Brandon had come into her life she had felt that he was meant to stay there, and after spending so much time with him she really wasn't sure what she would do if he left.

 **…**

"Excuse me?" Serenity asked slowly, her voice cold.

"Your Highness, perhaps you should calm down a bit. You shouldn't be getting worked up in your condition," one of the many male advisors attempted to cool Serenity's burning anger but she wasn't letting him.

"Don't tell me about my condition," she snapped, "I think everyone in this room is aware that I'm pregnant. If you're worried about me being worked up, then perhaps you shouldn't keep information this important from me."

The advisors looked at each other, none of them quite sure what to say to calm down the princess. It was her first meeting alone with them, King James having trusted her to run it while he attended another meeting in a conference room down the hall.

"Princess Serenity," a different advisor started, "we aren't trying to offend you. All of us here have known about the developments for a while, we just assumed you had been informed. We thought Prince Matthew had told you-"

"Prince Matthew didn't tell me any information about the rebels. He was overly worried about what it would do to me, but he was wrong. I want a full briefing on my desk in the morning so that I am not blindsided by information about them again. Is that understood?"

The advisors all nodded and Serenity saw one of them write down a note, hopefully about the briefing.

Serenity took back control of the meeting by clearing her throat. Every eye turned to her and she spoke, "I will review all the information for tomorrow but for now I want a condensed version of what is pertinent to this meeting."

Nobody spoke but Serenity remained silent, waiting. Finally, one of the few other women in the room looked up and met Serenity's eyes. The princess gestured at the advisor and the short woman stood up.

"A few months ago we discovered a trail from African bank accounts leading us to a few provinces, all on the eastern side of the country. Investigating this we found out that the African government has been funding several accounts that were under pseudonyms. These accounts led us to houses in Hansport, Clermont, Kent, and Midston. We believe that these houses are some of the bases for the rebel cause."

Serenity was silent, letting the information soak in. Finally, she spoke, "So would one of you please tell me why exactly we haven't done anything with this information? If we had attacked these houses when we first found out about them my husband would still be alive!"

"Prince Matthew was the one who gave the order to wait. He wanted to be absolutely certain these were the right houses before he attacked."

Serenity's throat was thick but she pushed the words out, "Matthew has been dead for months now. Why has nothing been done in that time?"

"Your Highness, we were reluctant to go forward with this after the attack that took the Crown Prince's life. If we mess this up we could incur the wrath of the rebels even more, and it would be dangerous for this country to lose another member of the royal family, especially you since you are carrying the heir."

Serenity nodded and said, "Are you certain that these houses are rebel bases?"

The advisors nodded but still looked uncertain.

"We are going to make sure this is where the rebels are and then we are going to destroy these houses to make sure the rebels do not interfere with the country anymore. Is that understood?"

When she had met every advisor's eyes and seen them nod she continued speaking, "Are you positive that the African Union is the one funding them?"

"That is one of the few things we are sure about. The accounts link directly back to the African government."

Serenity sighed, "And we can't confront them about that, can we?"

"No, Your Highness," the woman who had been bold spoke up again, "funding the rebels is an act of war against Illéa. If we accuse the Africans it will lead to a war. We can't expose them unless we are willing to go to war over it."

Serenity looked down and absently ran a hand over her belly. Did she want to leave her child with a country that was indebted and torn apart by war? Would she be able to live with herself if she did that?

"Have there been any new developments with the Colonies of the South? Have they invaded our borders yet?"

A male advisor shuffled through his papers and answered her, "Not yet. They have come closer but we have increased the guards along our Southern borders. It is our belief that they will not invade until the rebels are close to gaining power in Illéa. Until then we think they will stay away."

"So all of our problems are because of the rebels," Serenity stated, "if we can stop them then our international and many of our domestic problems would disappear."

"Essentially yes."

"Then we're going to stop them," Serenity said it with such certainty that none of the advisors could contradict her, even though they'd been trying for years to stop the rebels.

"How do you propose we do that, Your Highness?" an advisor asked, almost mocking her.

Serenity shot him an icy glare as she answered, "You know the location of their bases. We just need to confirm them, once we do that we can send in the army and hit them with everything we have."

"Your Highness, we cannot use the army, we are not at war."

"We are at war, we have been. The rebels started this war when they killed my husband, the future king. They started it and we are going to end it. I'll speak with the generals and we'll send in spies to these bases. As soon as these are confirmed as their headquarters we _will_ attack them. The rebels have terrorized this country for long enough and it's time for their reign to come to an end."


	51. I'll Be There For You

**Hey guys! Hope you're all doing good. I'm pumped because it's almost spring and that's my favorite season! Just a few more days! I haven't been getting very many reviews lately but thanks to those of you who did:** XOStarbrightXO **,** Miss Kaydence **,** Cookiedoodles168 **, and** jess120 **(who needs to stop making fun of my BFF's brother in her reviews). You guys are so great!**

 **...**

The nightmares started the first night Cosmina got home. The same dream that had plagued her for years after she left Romania had returned with a vengeance as soon as she returned to Atlin. She had still suffered from the nightmares while at the palace but they were less frequent, sometimes only once or twice a month as opposed to the nightly terrors she had at home.

She hated going to bed and postponed it as long as possible every night, but no matter how exhausted she was the nightmares still came.

"Come on, Mina, it wasn't that bad," Crina poked her best friend in the side and gave her a smile as they got into the car.

"That movie was awful and you know it. We shouldn't have wasted our time," Cosmina countered.

Cosmina watched Crina roll her eyes in the rearview mirror before changing the subject. Crina could talk faster than anyone and it was one of the things Cosmina loved about her.

"You just ran a stop sign," Crina said, leaning forward between Cosmina and her boyfriend so that she was no longer in the backseat, "I don't know if I'm comfortable with you driving," she teased.

Without looking Cosmina knew he had rolled his eyes, "Relax, Crina, there's nobody out driving this late, but if you really want I'll make sure to stop at the next one and you can get out and walk home."

Crina stuck her tongue out but retreated to the backseat without another word.

Cosmina knew what would happen and wanted to scream at her best friend to get out of the car or at least put on her seat belt, but like always she couldn't form the words.

The car stopped at the next stop sign and Crina gave the driver a smug look. He pulled forward again, shaking his head at his friend.

"You're quiet," he turned to Cosmina, "Is everything okay?"

She could only nod, holding onto the dashboard as hard as she could, her eyes squeezed shut.

 _It's not real_ she told herself _this is just a dream, it's not really happening_.

"Mina?"

They were on a wider street now, going faster than they should have but he didn't think it mattered, they were the only car on the road.

"I know you didn't like the movie, but is there something more wrong?"

Cosmina shook her head, just wanting him to pay attention to the road.

"Look at me," he implored, and she did.

She knew what would happen but her blue eyes opened reflexively. He was staring at her, his eyes so open and full of love that it hurt. In that second, where he was focused on Cosmina and not driving, a car came speeding off of a side street and right toward them.

Cosmina was the only one who saw it, she opened her mouth to issue a warning, but it was too late.

The truck smashed into them, shattering the driver's side of the car. Glass was everywhere and Cosmina felt blood soaking into her shirt. It was hers and someone else's. Crina let out a mangled scream as she went flying and Cosmina mirrored the sound. Cosmina kept screaming, knowing there was nothing she could do. She was forced to sit and watch as Brandon's bright blue eyes bore into hers until the moment the life left them.

Cosmina shot up in bed, her throat aching from screaming. She panted for a minute, feeling her heart rushing. Finally she began to feel normal again. She took deep breaths, trying to convince herself that she was alright.

A soft knock sounded on her door and Cosmina didn't bother answering, knowing whichever one of her brothers was there would just come in anyway.

A minute later her door swung open, revealing her twin brother Fane. He always had an uncanny sense for when she was upset, although tonight he had probably heard her screaming.

"Are you okay, Mina?" he asked.

Wordlessly Cosmina shook her head.

The nightmares had always been bad for her, she had to relive losing Gabriel every time she closed her eyes, but they were so much worse now. Ever since returning home as a part of the Elite her dreams had changed. Now instead of what had really happened, Gabriel driving during the crash, it was always Brandon. She had to watch Brandon die every single night in her nightmare, just as she had watched Gabriel die in real life.

Fane crossed the room and sat down on the edge of her bed. He pulled Cosmina to him and rubbed her back soothingly.

"Was it the dream again?"

Cosmina nodded and turned to bury her face in her brother's shirt. He hugged her even tighter and Cosmina finally allowed herself to let the dream go and feel safe.

After a minutes Fane spoke, sounding worried, "I'd hoped that you being in the Selection would help stop the nightmares. I thought if you finally allowed yourself to move on from Gabriel then the nightmares would stop."

"They did," Cosmina whispered.

"What?"

"The nightmares about Gabriel stopped. Now it's Brandon. Every time the car crashes, it's Brandon that I watch die," she was still whispering and she couldn't look her brother in the eyes as she admitted it.

Cosmina wasn't sure what had brought on the change. Maybe it was Prince Matthew's death, making her think that losing Brandon was a real possibility, or maybe it was just being separated from Brandon. Whatever it was, Cosmina was finding it harder and harder to get a good night's sleep.

"Oh, Mina," her twin hugged her even tighter and pressed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Don't tell Decebel," she said to Fane, "you know how much he worries about me. I don't want to add to it. He already wanted me to drop out of the Selection and stay at home, this will just make him more determined."

"Maybe he has a point."

Cosmina shook her head, "I can't imagine dropping out of the Selection. It's been good for me and I've made some amazing friends. I care about Brandon too much to drop out like this."

"Is he really worth all this heartache, Cosmina?" her brother asked kindly.

"Yes, Fane, he is. Once you meet him, you'll see. He's really good for me. I can't wait for you to meet him tomorrow when he comes." Cosmina had been watching Brandon's progress across the country on the news and she couldn't wait until tomorrow night when he'd get to Atlin and she'd finally be able to see him again.

"Yeah, I'll be a whole lot better when I meet him than Decebel will be."

"You have to help me control him," Cosmina begged, "you know he's going to go crazy and try to act all protective, he'll make a total fool of himself."

"His fiancé has a much better chance of controlling him than I do. Have you asked her?"

Cosmina nodded, "Jennifer said she'll try, but it'll take all of us to keep him under control. Please say you'll help me."

"I'll help you if you promise to try and get some more sleep. You're going to have a long enough day tomorrow, you don't need to be exhausted on top of it."

The smile faded from Cosmina's face at the thought of falling back to sleep and reliving the dream again.

"I'm serious, Cosmina, at least try."

Cosmina pulled away from Fane but didn't lay down again.

"Do you want me to bring you something? Like warm milk or tea?"

Cosmina thought about the offer but shook her head, "Could you just stay here for a little bit? Just until I fall asleep."

Fane smiled, "Of course, little sister. I'll stay as long as you need me to."

"Thanks," Cosmina got back under her blankets and laid down. She felt Fane stand up but knew he wouldn't leave her, "I love you," she told him.

"Love you too," he said, "now go to sleep."

Cosmina sighed but closed her eyes, hoping that her nightmares were done for the night. She wished it were morning already. If it were morning she would be much closer to seeing Brandon again, plus she wouldn't have to worry about her nightmares anymore.

She felt Fane adjust the blanket on her and knew he was really worried. He was probably as tired as she was but he would never let it show. She vowed to fall asleep quickly so that he could leave.

Cosmina lay still for a few more minutes and felt exhaustion all over her body. She really was tired and there was no escaping it, so she finally relaxed and let sleep claim her.

 **…**

Priya's life in the palace had gotten much more exciting once she was no longer part of the Selection. Because of Matthew's death she had been helping out Amelia with almost all aspects of the royal life. She had completely organized Brandon's schedule for visiting with the Elite and she was the one who had to check in on him every night and make sure things were going well wherever he was. Amelia had convinced Priya to help with things she had never dreamed of, like organizing Natalie and Brooklyn's public appearances and helping the Queen out with her philanthropy work. Priya was busy from dawn until dusk, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

She'd been super busy for weeks, but things were finally starting to get back to normal and Priya was able to take a day off. Brandon had been gone for five weeks and he still had another five to go before the Elite would come back and the palace would be thrown into chaos again. Priya was glad to have the break before she had to begin training the Elite and working with her friends on more of the political aspects of being a princess.

Priya had spent her day off with Natalie. They had gone shopping around Angeles and stopped in on several local businesses, raising awareness for helping the Illéan economy. They were photographed at several of their stops and Priya had no doubt the pictures would be all over the news the next day. With the Elite gone, the country was lacking in any royal gossip so an outing with a princess and former Selected was sure to get their attention.

"That was so fun," Nat exclaimed, sitting down on her bed and taking off her heels.

Priya nodded, "It was a great way to spend my day off."

"It's so nice to have you around the palace more," Natalie told her friend, "I like seeing you every day."

"Yeah," Priya smiled, "I feel like I've gotten closer to all of you because of it."

"I know _we_ have," Nat said, "I'd be shocked if you've gotten closer to Ryan though. He's hardly spoken to anyone since Matt died. I tried to talk with him this morning and he wouldn't even listen to me. I'm worried about him, especially with Brandon being gone."

"You know, I haven't seen him in weeks, which is really unusual. When was the last time he ate dinner with everyone?"

Nat shook her head, "I can't even remember. He and dad got in a huge fight right before Brandon left and I've hardly seen him since. He says he just wants to be alone and my parents have been so busy lately I don't think they've even noticed how absent he's been."

"I hope he's okay," Priya said, thinking about the boy she'd grown up with and how out of character he'd been lately, "maybe I'll try talking to him later."

"You should," Nat said emphatically, "if there anyone he'll listen to, it's you."

Priya smiled, doubting shed have much luck if Natalie hadn't been able to get anything out of him.

"I'll do my best," Priya promised.

"Thanks, Priya, I know you'll be able to talk some sense into him."

"I hope so," Priya said as she left Natalie's room and headed down the hall to Ryan's. She knocked on the door and when there was no answer she pushed in.

Priya honestly hadn't expected Ryan to be in his room but she wanted to try it before she looked other places. When she was sure he wasn't there she headed outside. It was possible he was holed up somewhere in the palace, hidden where no one would ever look, but Priya didn't think so. She'd known Ryan almost her whole life and when he was upset he needed space and outside was where he'd go. Before she went out she stopped by the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of whiskey. If Ryan wasn't in the mood to talk at least he'd probably let her stay.

Priya walked through the gardens, not sure where he would be. He wasn't on any of the main paths and she was about to start looking through the side paths when she spotted the stables. She knew instantly that's where he was.

Priya had always loved horses and she couldn't count the number of times Ryan had accompanied her for rides around the grounds. He liked horses almost as much as she did and Priya knew that was where he had to be.

She slowly walked over to the stables and opened the door. Normally there were grooms or stablehands there but when she looked inside she didn't see anyone. The door swung shut behind her and Priya inhaled, letting the horsey smell wash over her.

She walked down the center aisle, admiring all the horses around her and stopping every so often to stroke one of them.

"Ryan?" she called softly, "I know you're here."

She continued her way through the stable, listening for any sound that Ryan was there.

"Come on, please talk to me."

She walked a few more feet before stopping and planting her feet, "I'm not leaving until you talk to me," she declared.

Her voice echoed but she stood her ground, knowing he was there.

"Why do you care, Priya?" Ryan called, "Don't you have something better to do than track me down?"

Priya looked around in the dim light and finally spotted Ryan sprawled out on a pile of hay in a corner. Normally the stable was kept cleaner than that so Priya had no doubt Ryan had taken apart the bale himself along with sending out all the stablehands.

"What are you doing out here? People are worried about you."

Ryan snorted, "Yeah, right. You're the first person who's actually wanted to speak with me in weeks. Nobody else even cares what I do. They just think I'm a screwup who's throwing my life away."

"Nobody thinks that," Priya said softly as she walked over and stood above Ryan.

"Really? Because those are almost the exact words my father used."

"What?" Priya dropped to the ground and sat on the hay next to Ryan, "He didn't."

"He did. When Brandon was leaving I offered to help my dad with things, because Matt- because he's not here to do it anymore. I thought it might be good to help my dad out in some of his meetings, especially since I've disappointed him so much over the last few years. Do you want to know what he did? He laughed in my face. He said there's no way _I_ would want to be useful. If I went to those meetings I would just be in the way since I haven't really helped there before. Then he told me if I really wanted to be help I should just get lost, so you know what? That's exactly what I did." Ryan didn't even look at Priya as he spoke and she was scared that if she did anything he would stop speaking at all, "Except, I can't actually get lost because I don't know how to do _anything_!" He screamed the sentence and finally turned to Priya and his voice broke, "I don't know how to do anything. Growing up here everything was done for me and now that it's time for me to leave I can't because I'd just screw up that and make another mess for my father to clean up. I'm _not_ going to prove him right."

"You're not a screwup," Priya told him softly, putting a hand on his arm and trying to get him to look at her.

"Aren't I? I've pretty much thrown away my life. I was such an _idiot_. I let my feelings for Annika screw things up and now nobody trusts me anymore. Ever since I refused a Selection my dad has hated me. It's been _two years_ , shouldn't he let it go by now?"

"Ryan, it's not that simple. You _really_ hurt him when you did that. You're the most like your dad out of your brothers, I think he expected you to be as excited as he was about a Selection, so when you refused it, it really hurt him."

"Well now I'm trying to make up for that and he doesn't care. Not one bit." Ryan looked near crying and Priya didn't know what to do. She'd never seen her friend that emotional before, but it didn't last long, "Don't let me monopolize the conversation. What's new with you, Priya?"

Priya spread her skirt out beneath her and leaned against the hay, unscrewing the top of the whiskey bottle and taking a swig before handing it to Ryan.

"I saw my mother today. I went to her office this morning before my shopping trip with Nat. She already knew about my promotion but I told her about some of the things I've been doing since Matt's death. She told me to quit."

Ryan's eyes widened but he remained silent, letting her finish.

"She thinks Amelia is taking advantage of me by having me do menial work. She thinks I should be more involved in the politics and that I should go back to my old job. She doesn't think I can handle training the Elite and being more of a diplomat, so she wants me to quit." Priya stayed silent, letting her words sink in before she whispered, "The worst part is I'm scared she's right. _Every_ day I question whether or not I made the right choice and after speaking with her, I'm not sure I did."

Ryan took a long drink of whiskey before he answered her, "You did, Priya. I've never seen you work harder than right after Matt died. I don't think Amelia could have handled things without you. You've seriously done a great job and if your mom can't see that then you should stop worrying about what she thinks."

"You really think so?"

Ryan nodded and took another drink, "This is the part where you tell me not to worry about what my dad thinks and to just live my life."

Priya shook her head and took the bottle back from Ryan, "I don't think you should. You've been not caring what he thought for two years. If you're serious about wanting to help and showing him you've changed, then you need to do it. You can't go back to what wasn't working. You need to go back to the palace and keep offering help. He'll have to let you eventually and when he does you need to show him that you're serious. Maybe then he'll start trusting you with more things."

Ryan took in her words and nodded, "You're right, Priya. I just needed someone to make me realize that. Thanks."

Priya smiled and took another sip, "You're welcome. You know you can always talk to me, right. I can't even imagine what it's been like for your family, but I care about all of you. Whenever you need something, I'll be there for you."

Ryan pulled Priya to him and gave her a hug, "Thanks. I really need that right now. It's been hard. Matthew was the one I _always_ went to. He was my older brother and now he's gone. He was the only person who really understood me, you know? I could go to him with anything and he had a way of making it better. Now, I don't have anyone. Natalie has you to talk with, Brook has Lorenzo, and Brandon has all of his Selected. I used to have Matt but not anymore, and I thought I found someone, but now she's gone too."

"Annika?" Priya asked softly, picking up on his words from before and who had hurt him.

"Actually no," Ryan told her, "it was someone else but I haven't seen her in weeks, and anyway I don't think she feels the same about me. She was here for Brandon."

"Ryan, don't tell me you like one of Brandon's Selected. That could be bad for both of you, you have to be careful."

"I know. And I know I _shouldn't_ like her, but she's just so easy to talk with and I really just want to talk with her, especially since I haven't been speaking with my family much."

"You _can't_ reach out to her," Priya warned, "until Brandon eliminates her you need to stay away from her."

"I _know_!" Ryan shouted, "I know I can't talk to her and I shouldn't even but thinking about her, but Priya you just don't understand. She's the only one who actually _cares_ about me. She doesn't judge me and I know she'd be able to help me figure out this whole thing with my dad. I just wish I could talk with her."

"But you can't, Ryan. If anyone found out you'd be hurting her."

"I know. _I_ can't talk with her," he thought for a minute, "but maybe _you_ could."

"What?" Priya gasped.

"I can't call her, but what if I wrote her a letter. You could mail it out for me and put your name on the envelope. Nobody would know."

"I would know!"

"Come on, Priya, you said you wanted to help me."

"I want to _help_ you, Ryan, not be arrested for treason."

"You won't be arrested, I'll make sure of it. I just need her to know I'm thinking about her, _please_ Priya."

Priya looked at Ryan's earnest hazel eyes and sighed, "I'm going to regret this, aren't I?"

Ryan's smile lit up the dark stables and Priya felt her own mouth grin in response, "You won't, I promise."

Priya wasn't sure if it was the alcohol making her lose her common sense or just the fact that she'd never before seen Ryan so serious about something, but whatever it was it made her relent, "One letter, okay?"

Ryan grinned and snatched the bottle from her hand, downing the last of it, "One letter is all I need."

 **...**

 **Alright, I would love to know what you thought of this chapter so leave me a review and let me know. Reading your reviews motivates me to write faster so the more I get the sooner I'll have a chapter out! Also, I've been thinking about when this story is over possibly making a series of one-shots set in this world with the characters. There's a poll up on my profile about it or you can just let me know what you think in the reviews. If you're not interested in reading it then I won't write it.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **~Jen**


	52. You Always Find Your Way Back Home

**Hey! I know it's been forever since I updated but I promise the next chapter won't take that long! Thanks to my incredible reviewers:** Scarlett, Miss Kaydence, BookishLifeandCoffee **(x2)** , XOStarbrightXO, **and** Cookiedoodles168 **. Hope you like this chapter.**

 **...**

"Dad, I'm serious, something is wrong."

"Kadence, you are blowing this completely out of proportion," her father insisted.

"I am not. You don't know Aria like I do, she wouldn't just drop off the face of the planet like this."

"I spoke with Aria's mother about it last week, and she didn't seem concerned. If Stephanie isn't worried then I don't see why you are."

"It's a twin thing dad, not that you would know anything about that."

"Kadence," her dad started.

"No," she snapped, "I'm not being dramatic. Aria would have reached out to me by now. I _know_ it. Since she hasn't, I know that something must have happened to her. Something bad."

"I know you're worried about her, sweetie, but has it occurred to you that maybe Aria doesn't want you to reach out to her? Maybe she wants some distance between you."

Kadence rolled her eyes at her father and grabbed a plate, taking it to the customer before returning to glare at her father, "Even if that were true, it's been almost eight weeks. She's had enough distance."

Her father sighed, looking worried, "Kadence, maybe she doesn't want to see you. There's no guarantee that you'll go back to the palace, for all Aria knows she saw the last of you when you left the Selection. Maybe that's how she wanted it."

"How could you say that? She's my _sister_ , of course she wants to see me!"

"Kadence, I'm her father and I spent the majority of her life without seeing her. It's very possible that she doesn't want to see you right now and this is her way of trying to do it without hurting you."

"That's _not_ true," Kadence said, blinking back tears, "You know that's not true, you just won't admit it." Kadence turned away from him and untied her apron, "I'm done with my shift, you can finish it."

Without waiting for his response she turned and dashed up the stairs, slamming the door behind her. She was practically shaking she was filled with so much rage at her father. She let out a frustrated scream and threw her apron across the room.

"He is unbelievable," she said out loud, pacing the room, "I can't believe he thinks Aria doesn't want to see me."

Kadence might have believed her father's words when she had first met Aria, but after their months of friendship she knew they weren't true. Aria cared about her just as much as Kadence cared about her twin. They had a bond that no one else understood, and Kadence knew that the horrible feeling she got in her stomach whenever she thought about Aria wasn't a coincidence. It was something in her twin instincts that told her she needed Aria.

Kadence knew that Aria would never have stayed away that long if it was her choice, so Kadence was just going to have to figure out what had happened to make her sister stay so far away. And she knew she couldn't do it with her dad there trying to stop her.

She had to get away from him, but she didn't know where she could go. Kadence paced the room again, trying to think.

 _If I was Aria, where would I go?_ she thought. But that was a hard question. Aria had always been much more spontaneous than Kadence. Kadence had no clue where Aria would go. In fact, she would bet that Aria hadn't planned it out. If Kadence had to guess she'd say that Aria was winging it, going where she wanted when she wanted without planning it out beforehand. Kadence loved her sister but planning and foresight were not her strong suits.

 _There's no way I'll be able to find her on my own_ Kadence thought. There was no telling where in the country Aria was, or if Aria was even still in Illéa. If Kadence truly wanted to find her sister she knew she couldn't do it by herself. And there was only one person who knew Aria better than Kadence.

Kadence hadn't spoken to her since she received the call on her birthday, but for the first time she found herself dialing the phone number she'd had memorized for months but had never called. As the phone rang, Kadence glanced at her apartment door, not sure if her father was on his way up or not. She debated staying in the living room for another minute before she stood up and walked into her bedroom.

While she was shutting the door, a voice on the other side of the phone answered.

"Hello?" the woman asked.

"Mom?" Kadence breathed.

" _Aria_!" her voice filled with excitement, "How are you, sweetheart? I haven't heard from you in so long, I was beginning to worry."

"Um, it's not Aria. It's Kadence."

"Oh," Kadence heard the slight disappointment in her mother's voice at the news and tried not to be hurt about it, "Kadence, I'm sorry. You two just sound so similar, and I don't think you've ever called me before. I wasn't expecting it. How have you been? It's been a while since we've talked."

"Uh, yeah it has. Sorry about that, I probably shouldn't have called."

"Nonsense, I'm glad you did. How can I help you?"

"Well, you actually already answered one of my questions. I wanted to know if you'd heard from Aria lately."

"I haven't. Not since she was eliminated from the Selection. I know she wanted to travel a bit and I haven't heard anything from her since."

"But doesn't that worry you?" Kadence asked, anxiety already filling her stomach from thinking about it.

"Kadence, that's just how Aria is. She's very independent. When she's ready to come home I have no doubt that she'll be back here, and until then I know she'll be fine. I raised her to be careful so I'm not worried and you shouldn't be either."

"It's been eight weeks though. I can't help but worry. And my dad isn't helping, he just thinks I'm paranoid."

Her mother laughed loudly, "That does sound like something he would say. I don't think you're paranoid, I think you're being a good sister."

"Really? Because I've been thinking about using my Selection money to hire a private investigator to try and find her." Kadence admitted, something she never would have shared with her father.

"I wouldn't do something that drastic just yet. If we haven't heard anything from her in another two weeks then we can think about doing more, otherwise I would just let it be."

Kadence sighed, "If you think that's best. Thank you for not making me feel crazy though."

"Of course, I'm touched that you're so concerned about her."

"I wish I could talk with you more often. You just understand me so much better than my dad does."

"Well you can call me anytime you want, don't forget that. I would love to be a part of your life if you would let me."

"I would love that too. In fact," Kadence paused, trying to collect her thoughts, "this is going to sound crazy, but do you think I could stay with you for a few days? Just to get a break from things here. And then, if Aria contacts you I could be there too." The more Kadence thought about it the more appealing the idea sounded to her, but her mother remained silent.

"I don't have to," Kadence said quickly, "It was just an idea, I hope I didn't offend you."

"It's nothing like that," her mother reassured her, "I would like nothing more than for you to come out here and stay. I love you and you'll always have a place out here, it's your home as much as it is Aria's. I just don't think your father would be happy about it."

Kadence snorted, "I don't care what he thinks. I'm eighteen years old and I have my own money for the plane ticket. He doesn't get a say in this. I don't care whether he'll like it or not. It's my life and as long as you don't object then I'll fly out in a couple of days."

"Alright then, let me know what day you'll be here and I can come pick you up at the airport."

"I can really stay with you?" Kadence still had a hard time believing it, she was still in shock over the idea.

"Of course. But do me a favor and run it by your dad first," Kadence started to object but her mother cut her off, "you can still come even if he disapproves, but he at least deserves to know. Don't just disappear on him."

With those words Kadence knew her mother was much more worried than she was letting on.

"Alright, I'll tell him," she promised.

"Good."

Her mother continued speaking but by then Kadence had her tuned out. She was already packing up a bag in her mind, preparing herself for her first trip to the east coast.

 **…**

"Okay, you have to prepare yourself," Amara warned, standing outside her front door and looking into Brandon's blue eyes, "I'm not sure what exactly is going to happen in there, but you should be ready for the worst."

"I think I can handle it," Brandon assured her, thinking of the week he spent being intimidated by all of Cosmina's brothers as well as the one after where he was constantly followed by cameras as a part of Taylor's reality show. After all of that, Brandon was sure Amara's family would be much easier to be around.

"I wouldn't be so confident," Amara warned him.

She wasn't sure how her foster family would react to finally meeting the prince, but she didn't want to take any chances. Brandon had been asking her to meet them all week but for the three days he'd been in Baffin she'd managed to keep them separate. So far she and Brandon had spent their days just the two of them, doing all kinds of touristy things that Amara had always dreamed of but could never afford. They went to an amusement park, went ice skating on one of the still-frozen lakes, and visited all of the most famous spots in Baffin. It was by far one of the best weeks of Amara's life and she was scared that it would all come crashing down once Brandon met her family.

Amara knew Emilie would be supportive. During the first week she'd been back, the two had made up. Once Emilie saw how truly happy Amara was being Selected she forgot about their fight and was extremely supportive of Amara being in the Elite. She was by far the most excited of the family to meet Brandon. Maddie was a different story. She was still bitter that Amara had been Selected and especially that she was an Elite. The two girls had hardly talked in all the time that Amara had been home and Amara was really worried that Maddie would try to turn Brandon against her. If there was anyone who hated Amara enough to do that, it would be Maddie.

"I think I can handle it," Brandon said, smiling at her, "your family will love me."

Amara rolled her eyes at him, "I'm sure they will. But just remember, whatever happens in there you brought on yourself. I was fine with spending the week just you and me. You're the one who wanted to meet them all."

Brandon grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, placing a kiss on her cheek, "Of course I want to meet them. They're the people who raised you. They're part of the reason you turned out so amazing."

Amara blushed, "I'd like to think I'm the main reason for that."

Brandon chuckled, "That's true, but I still want to meet them."

"Alright," Amara said, pulling the front door open.

She led Brandon into the house and as soon as she got to the living room all the conversations stopped.

Everyone in her family looked at her and Amara felt her cheeks heat up. She was used to being the odd one out but this felt different.

Brandon stood beside her and she could tell he was as nervous as she was. She cleared her throat but couldn't force any words to come out. Just as Amara was about to turn and usher Brandon out of the house, Emilie jumped up.

She rushed over to them and shot a quick smile to Amara before turning to Brandon, "Hi! I'm Emilie. I've been looking forward to meeting you."

Brandon smiled shyly, "It's great to meet you, Emilie. I'm Brandon."

He extended his hand but Emilie ignored it, instead pulling him into a hug like she did for all her siblings. Amara could tell Brandon was surprised, but he hugged her back with a small smile.

After Emilie broke the ice, the rest of the introductions came easily. Catherine was as dramatic as ever, sweeping into a deep curtsy instead of accepting Brandon's handshake. And Ryan quickly asked Brandon to be his wingman that night, an idea that was quickly shot down by his mother and made Amara want to smack him. Maddie was the only one who was awkward. When Brandon introduced himself she promptly told him that she'd entered the Selection too. Which made Brandon look at Amara uncomfortably, clearly unsure of how to respond.

"Yeah, well Emilie entered too," Amara told Maddie, "but I got chosen."

She reached down and grabbed Brandon's hand and without looking she knew he was smiling.

"Plus, we look really cute together," Amara added.

She glanced at Brandon and saw that his ears were red but he was smiling at her. Maddie scoffed and rolled her eyes but for once Amara didn't care.

Catherine sighed, looking dreamy-eyed, and said, "But remember Amara, appearances don't matter because 'Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore-"

"Oh my gosh, Catherine, do you always have to be so dramatic?" Maddie demanded, "Nobody cares what some stupid, dead poet has to say."

"Madeline, we have company," Mackenzie scolded her daughter, "be more respectful."

Maddie just rolled her eyes and left the room.

"I'm sorry about her," Mackenzie told Brandon, "she's used to being the center of attention in the family and I don't think she's too happy that Amara took that from her. I'm sure she'll come around though, she just needs some time."

"She needs more than time," Emilie said to Amara.

"Yeah, like a personality transplant," Amara muttered back.

Emilie laughed and when everyone looked at her she quickly stopped.

"Amara, you should play a song with us. I bet Brandon would love to hear it."

"I don't think so, Em. I'm really out of practice."

"Come on, Amara. Your guitar has just sat there for months. No one has played it since you left for the Selection," Emilie gave Amara a pleading look.

"Yeah!" Catherine exclaimed, "We've missed playing with you, Amara."

"Come on, Amara," Brandon said, nudging her, "I want to hear it."

Amara knew she couldn't say no to so many people so she just slowly shook her head and walked over to pick up her guitar.

"What?" Ryan called, "Don't tell me you're just gonna play music. You do that everyday. Now that Brandon's here, we have ten people, that's enough for a full game of basketball. We _have_ to play."

Amara's face lit up. Her and Ryan were the only two who loved the sports that Mackenzie always coaxed her family into playing. They were always up for a pickup game of basketball or street hockey and it was rare that they had the perfect number for teams.

"We will," Amara promised him, "after this song, I will destroy you on the basketball court."

Ryan smirked, "You can try, Mar, but I don't think it's gonna happen. Brandon and I are gonna beat you and Em so bad."

"Who said Brandon was on your team?" Amara demanded.

"I did," Ryan said, "and we're gonna win."

He held up a hand for a fist bump and Brandon complied.

Amara shot him a look, "Traitor."

Brandon shrugged and smiled at her, clearly happy that her family had accepted him.

Amara shook her head at him but she couldn't keep the smile off her face. She gave him one last look before she picked up her guitar and started to play.

 **...**

 **The next chapter should be out pretty soon (I hope) but leave me a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. Thanks for reading!**


	53. I Hate That I Love You

**Hey guys!**

 **I know this chapter is pretty short for the wait you had. It was originally going to be longer but I think adding another POV would be too much so I'm just gonna post it as is. Thank you to** Scarlett **and** XOStarbrightXO **for their amazing reviews and I hope you like this chapter.**

 **…**

The week with Zinnia and her family had by far been one of the best weeks of Brandon's life. He had been looking forward to getting back to the palace, but after this week he wasn't sure that was what he wanted. The previous week with Vivian had been fun and he'd loved seeing the young girl get to act her age and be around her sister, but it was nice to be in a family home again. Vivian and her friends had great lives and their apartment was fun to visit but Brandon had really missed his family while he was away, and being with Zinnia and her family was something he needed.

True, her family was vastly different from his own but the same love he felt whenever they were together was present everywhere at Zinnia's house. Her sister had been to visit nearly everyday and Zinnia's friends were constantly coming in and out. Brandon had met them several times throughout the week and he understood why Zinnia missed them so badly. Plus Zinnia's sister, Elena, had just given birth to twins and Brandon enjoyed he'd getting to see the babies. He didn't have any experience with infants and he enjoyed getting to be around some before Serenity gave birth. He wanted his sister to think he knew what he was doing so that he could be trusted with his niece or nephew. Zinnia was a natural with the babies and he knew that she would be a great help once Serenity had hers.

Zinnia and Brandon had really bonded throughout the week and Brandon was happy he'd finally gotten to know the sweet girl. He loved spending time with her and for the whole week he'd spent most of it at her house. Since Zinnia was the last girl Brandon was visiting, he'd gotten it cleared with Amelia to stay later at her house the last night rather than returning to his hotel early in the evening.

Brandon had taken Zinnia out to a nice restaurant for their last dinner and then they had gone back to her house and watched the sun set from her front porch. Brandon had stayed outside, enjoying the warm Zuni air from the porch swing in front of Zinnia's house, while she went inside to change. Even though it was the beginning of February, Brandon was able to sit without a jacket and be just fine.

"Hi," Zinnia said, appearing in the doorway wearing a sweater that she'd just put on. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun but Brandon thought she'd never looked prettier.

"Hey," he smiled as she padded over to him, her bare feet making no noise on the wooden slats.

She sat down next to him and tucked her legs underneath her. Brandon gave the swing a small push and set them in motion. Zinnia scooted closer and rested her head on his shoulder. Throughout the week as they'd gotten closer, Zinnia had become much more affectionate. She was always holding Brandon's hand, leaning against him, or kissing his cheek.

She let out a contented sigh and Brandon glanced at her.

"Are you happy?" Brandon asked her.

He felt her nod on his shoulder and she spoke softly, "I wish we could stay like this forever."

"Me too," Brandon admitted, "this whole week has been perfect. I can't believe I have to fly back to Angeles tomorrow."

"Don't remind me," Zinnia said, "I've gotten used to you being here. I don't know what I'm going to do when you're gone."

"Yeah, it'll be different," he agreed, "when the Selection starts up again everything will have changed. My father wants me to end the Selection a month after I get back. I'm supposed to be engaged in a month, and right now I don't even know which five girls are coming back to the palace next week."

Zinnia sat up and looked at him, her brown eyes sad, "Can we not talk about that right now? I don't want to think about what's going to happen next week."

"Why? I know you'll be there next week, I _definitely_ want you to come back. I just don't know who should be there with you."

"That's what I don't want to talk about Brandon, all the other girls," she looked at him and saw the confusion on his face before she continued, "I know, I should be used to sharing you by now, but I'm not. When we were at the palace it was different, I only knew what it was like to share you, but now I know better."

"What are you talking about?" Brandon asked, clearly puzzled.

"When I signed up for the Selection, I thought I knew what I was getting into. I thought I could handle it, but now that I know you, I can't."

"Can't _what_ , Zinnia?"

"I can't handle having you date me and other girls at the same time. Every time some girl left the Women's Room I would feel sick, I'd imagine them with you and I just feel so jealous I can't stand it. I _hate_ that I feel that way, Brandon. I wish I didn't get jealous, but it's just how I am. And that was before I knew what it was like to have you all to myself. After this week, I don't think I can go back," Zinnia looked at Brandon, waiting for his reaction, "I can't go back to the sick feeling I get anytime you're with another girl. Or how when you kiss me or say that I'm beautiful I imagine you telling all of the others that too. I hate feeling that way, Brandon. The other girls are my friends and I hate being jealous and insecure around them all the time. It's just too hard. I love you, Brandon, and I don't want to share you anymore."

At the end of Zinnia's declaration Brandon just stared at her, shocked. Zinnia waited for him to respond, looking nervous.

Finally she couldn't take it anymore and burst out, "Don't just sit there, say something!"

"I don't know what to say." Brandon shook his head, still dumbfounded by her words, "I didn't know you felt that way. Are you sure?"

Zinnia laughed, "Sure that I love you? I've never been more sure of anything. I'd marry you today if you asked me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you Brandon. You and me, forever. You're _always_ there for me when I need you, you make me feel like I can do anything, you make me laugh, and you accept me for exactly who I am. You were never supposed to mean this much to me, but you _do_. I never planned on falling for you, but now that I have I can't imagine my life without you. I love you Brandon, I hate myself for it because I know you don't feel the same, but I love you anyway."

"Zinnia, I just don't know what to say. I really wasn't expecting this. I care about you. I care about you _so much_ , I care about you more than most people I know. I wish I could say that I love you too, but honestly I just don't know. There's just so much going on in my life right now that I haven't really thought about how I feel," Brandon explained to her.

"I know that, Brandon. I never expected you to feel the same way. I just wanted you to know how I felt before it was too late."

"What are you talking about? It's _not_ too late. We still have a month. Come back to Angeles with me, it'll all work out, you'll see," Brandon pleaded.

Zinnia shook her head, her eyes downcast, "I'm not going back to Angeles, Brandon. I can't do that to myself anymore. I can't compete for you. I want to be with you Brandon, but I'm done fighting for you. It's your turn to fight for me, because that's what I deserve, someone who will fight for me as much as I fight for them."

"Zinnia, please don't do this. Come back with me next week, I _need_ you to be there with me. I like you so much and I care about you more than anyone. I don't know what I'll do if you don't come back."

A tear finally escaped from Zinnia's eye and Brandon reached out to brush it away. As soon as his hand touched her face, Zinnia pulled away.

More tears fell from her eyes as she continued to speak, "I know you care about me, it's just not as much as I care about you, and that's what hurts the most. It's really hard to admit you love someone when you know they don't feel the same way, but that's what I did. I just wanted you to know."

As Brandon looked at her in tears, his heart melted. He wanted to do whatever it took to make her feel better, "Zinnia, it's not that I don't love you, because I do. I just also have other things to think about. There's pressure from my family and the country. If I could end the Selection today, I would, but I _can't_. I want you to be happy in life and I want to be the one who makes you happy. Please believe that," his voice was filled with emotion and his heart ached at the thought of possibly losing her.

Zinnia wiped her face, smearing mascara down her cheek, "Can you _promise_ me that if I go back to Angeles you would pick me? Because if there's even a small chance that it could be someone else, I won't go. I don't want to keep breaking my heart over and over."

Zinnia bit her lip, waiting for his answer and Brandon sighed. Could he picture himself with Zinnia for the rest of his life? _Yes_. He could see it all, their kids with her dark eyes and his artistic talent, how well they'd get along with Serenity's children and Brook's, Zinnia as a princess working each day to better the country. He could see it all, but it wasn't guaranteed.

"Zinnia," Brandon said softly, "I don't know what's going to happen this next month. I don't know what could change. I want to promise you that we'll be together but I just can't. But _please_ , take the chance. Come back anyway. What's life without a little risk? Isn't the possibility that we end up together worth coming back? _Please_."

Zinnia cried harder after his words but she shook her head, "I can't. I can't delude myself anymore. This whole thing was a risk. Us being together was a long shot from the beginning, but I hoped anyway. I can't do that to myself anymore, it's just too painful."

"You don't mean that," he whispered.

"I do, though. I _can't_ go back to Angeles, and if you care about me at all, you'll let me stay here."

She was crying outright and it took everything Brandon had to keep his own tears in.

"Please don't do this, Zinnia," he begged. He scooted further down the swing until he was right next to her. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her begin to cry against his shoulder.

"I have to," she whispered, "it's not fair to either of us. We both deserve to be happy, even if it's not with each other."

She pulled away and Brandon knew better than to reach out to her again.

"You were my first love, Brandon, and I'll never forget you. I'll always care about you and I know you'll do great things for the country."

"I'll never forget you either, Zinnia. You've shown me what true kindness is and that's something I will always remember."

More tears fell from her eyes but she smiled anyway, "Thank you."

She gave him one last look before turning and going back inside, leaving Brandon all alone on the porch to experience his very first heartbreak.


	54. Where My Heart Is

**Hey! I only got one review last chapter so thanks to** Cbear88 **for it. I know that sometimes it's hard to review and everyone is busy, but it is disheartening to spend so much time working on a chapter and then not have anyone review. Reviews don't have to be long, it's just very encouraging to know that you took a minute to tell me what you thought of the chapter. If you're reading and enjoying the story, please just take a little time to tell me, it really does help me to write and update more. Thanks for reading!**

 **...**

Natalie made her way down to the kitchens, happier than she'd been in a long time. She opened the door and saw Bennett immediately. He was in the middle of preparing something for her family's dinner that night. Natalie knew she shouldn't bother him so close to dinner but she was too excited to wait.

She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, "Hey," she said, chipper.

Bennett looked down at her and smiled, "You're happy today."

Natalie nodded, "Brandon got back this morning. I didn't realize how much I missed him until I got to see him again."

"And Princess Brooklyn got back last week, right?"

Nat nodded, "Yep. Now everyone is back and I can stop worrying about them. I'm just excited to get to spend time with them again."

"So I guess that means you'll be spending more time upstairs and not coming down here anymore?" Bennett asked.

"Don't be silly," Natalie said, smacking his arm, "I came down here before when my whole family was here. Why would that change now?"

"Because you're engaged now, and everyone knows it."

Natalie rolled her hazel eyes, "Come on, Bennett, you don't always have to bring that up. I know I'm engaged, but I hardly know the guy. Besides, it's not like we're getting married anytime soon. Our engagement will probably be at least a year. There's so much other stuff going on in the country that my parents and Serenity don't have time to think about my wedding."

"What other stuff?" Bennett's brow furrowed, "I didn't think there was too many issues right now. It seems like the Selection is the biggest thing happening, and isn't your engagement just as big as that?"

"The stuff that they're worried about isn't exactly common knowledge, if you know what I mean."

"What is it?" Bennett asked, looking intense and focused.

A worried look appeared on Natalie's face, "Um, I don't think I'm supposed to be talking about it. It's pretty classified."

Bennett rolled his eyes at her, "Come on, Nat. You can tell me. We're friends aren't we?"

"Well, yeah," she started, "we are friends."

A teasing glint came into Bennett's eye, " _Just_ friends?"

Natalie couldn't help but smile as he turned around so that they were chest to chest, "Yeah, just friends."

"I think we have two different ideas of what the word _friend_ means," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Natalie laughed but didn't pull away. Bennett leaned closer and she closed her eyes, her heart beating out of her chest.

"So," he whispered, "what stuff are they worried about?"

Natalie's eyes flew open, " _What_?" The words were not what she was expecting.

"Your parents and the princess. What are they so worried about that they can't even think about your wedding?"

"Oh."

"You know you can tell me, Nat. I _won't_ tell anyone," he promised.

Nat bit her lip, debating telling him, but Bennett smiled because he knew he had won.

"Well, there's just been a lot going on lately, especially since Matthew's death."

"Yeah," he prompted her.

"Serenity's been pretty upset and she feels like she needs to do something to show the rebels that they won't get away with something like that again. Plus, there's some international issues that are going on. Some of the countries who don't like us are trying to use the rebels to take over."

"How are they doing that?" Bennett wondered.

"They've been funding them. They give them the money to attack and if the rebels are successful they'll come in and takeover. It's the Africans, and Serenity thinks they want to come over here so that they'll have a strong base on both sides of the globe. If the rebels are successful then it would be bad for Illéa. I know lots of people think the country is bad now, but they don't realize just how awful it would be if the rebels and Africans take over."

"Awful for who, Nat?" Bennett asked, not unkindly, "I know it would be bad for your family, but do you think maybe it would be good for other people? Maybe there are some people who would benefit from some change."

"I can't believe you would say that!" Nat exclaimed, stepping away from him and looking hurt, "I know you don't think my parents are doing a great job, but do you honestly think people who take over by underhanded tactics and force are going to make the country any better? At least my family is _attempting_ reform, it's just slow. If the rebels takeover do you honestly think they'll want equality? They'll execute anyone who gets in their way. All they care about is getting power but once they have it they won't know what to do with it."

"How do you know that? Have you ever actually communicated with them? Just talk with them. You don't even know what they want. You're just assuming that you know everything."

"We can't _'just talk'_ with the rebels, Bennett. The last time they were in this palace they murdered my brother!" Nat's voice broke and Bennett tentatively stepped toward her, "They can't keep terrorizing innocent people and attacking us here. _Something_ has to be done, and if that something is eradicating the rebels then so be it."

"I'm sorry, Nat. I just think there has to be some middle ground between you killing thousands of people and them executing your entire family."

"Well there isn't! And it's not my decision anyway, the choice has already been made."

The blood drained from Bennett's face, "What?! What's going to happen, Natalie? What are they planning?"

Natalie looked at Bennett's pale face and took a step away from him.

"I'm really not supposed to be talking about it. I shouldn't have said anything."

"Come on, Nat. You can tell me."

The princess shook her head definitively, her blonde hair shaking around her shoulders, "I'm sorry I brought it up. All you need to know is that soon we won't have to worry about the rebels anymore."

 **...**

Juliet glanced around the small room, trying to decide if she should bring anything back to the palace with her. The room was very messy, thanks to her two younger sisters that had moved in since she'd been away. Despite her constant organizing over the past ten weeks, her sisters had managed to maintain the clutter. As she looked around the room, she couldn't even tell what objects were hers and what were her sisters'.

With a sigh she sank onto the bed, realizing that it didn't matter. She was sure that whatever she needed would be provided at the palace anyway. The only things she would need would be for sentimental reasons. She'd left all the pictures of her family that she wanted to take in a small box by the side of her bed. In addition she'd added a few drawings her sister, Clara, had made for her. She couldn't think of anything else that she really wanted to bring. As a mean joke, Stella had thrown a picture of Juliet and her ex-boyfriend Peter into the box. Luckily, Juliet had found it before she brought the box to the palace and unpacked it. She didn't want to have to explain to anyone why that picture was on her wall.

Juliet stood up and lifted her mattress, feeling around until she heard the crinkle of paper as her fingers brushed up against the letters. She pulled them from their hiding spot, glad she hadn't put them with her pictures since Stella has snooped through her stuff. She looked at them. They were worn and wrinkled from all the times she'd pulled them out and read them. She probably didn't even need to bring them with her, she practically had them memorized, but she knew they couldn't stay buried under her mattress forever. She just wasn't sure if bringing them to the palace was the right thing to do. Juliet had gotten a call from Priya that morning, saying that she would be returning to Angeles within the week. She was still a part of Brandon's Selection, along with London, Cosmina, Amara, and Seraphina, but her heart had been out of the competition for a while. Brandon's visit with her family had only confirmed that fact as he'd treated her more like a sister than a love interest, which was fine with her.

She looked at the letters a minute longer before she stood up and put them in her pocket. Juliet left her room, passing several of her siblings on her way out of the house. She walked down the sidewalk, making a few turns until she reached a park where she and her siblings had loved to play when they were little.

Taking a seat on a bench, she pulled the letters from her pocket. When she'd received the first letter in the mail she hadn't known who it was from or what it at about, but after reading it she'd been smiling for days, knowing that Ryan was thinking about her just as much as she was thinking about him. Even though she was in Hansport, her heart was still in Angeles.

The writing on the envelopes didn't match the letters and the return address was for Priya, not Ryan. When Juliet got the first letter she had thought it was official palace business, not something she would come to treasure.

Juliet made sure that no one was around her before she started reading them, a smile on her face.

 _Juliet,_

 _I don't know why I'm writing this. I probably won't even send it. I guess I'm just used to having someone around to talk to. You were always such a good listener. You would let me rant to you about my problems without interrupting and would always have something optimistic to say about it. I could really use some of that now._

 _It seems like ever since you left things just keep getting worse. First you left, then Brook, then Brandon. And now I have no one left who is willing to put up with me._

Juliet could picture Ryan's smirk at the words, how his hazel eyes would tease her if she could see him.

 _You probably don't care about that though. Honestly you probably don't care about this letter at all. I just wanted to tell someone about everything I'm dealing with and you were the first person I thought of._

 _I've really been trying to get better, to help out more and stop letting everyone down. The only problem is nobody wants to believe it. Even you probably wouldn't believe it, Jules, and you always tried to see the best in me. I really am trying. It's just hard with Brandon gone. I know he's the one everyone is putting their faith in now that Matthew's gone. I guess I just thought some people would trust me, or at least ask me to step up, but everyone is just tiptoeing around me, scared to ask me to do anything. Serenity is doing more than me right now, and she's eight months pregnant! I want to show people that I'm not useless, but I don't know how to do that. And even if they asked me to do things, since I've never cared before, I wouldn't even know where to begin. I sat in on one meeting with my father but I couldn't understand anything. I've never felt more useless in my entire life, not even when I refused a Selection._

 _Why am I telling you all this? You're on the complete opposite side of the country and there's nothing you could do to help me. I finally have to deal with my mistakes. I guess I just thought that when this day came I wouldn't be all alone._

 _Sorry to dump all of this on you. You probably have your own issues to deal with and now I've burdened you with all of mine. How's everything with your sister? I know you were nervous about having to see her again. I hope everything gets better between you two. Trust me, you should work things out, before it's too late. You'll be siblings for the rest of your life and nothing will change that. It'll be a lot better if you can get along. Although I don't know why I'm trying to give you advice. No sane person would listen to anything I have to say. You, on the other hand, are very smart. And anyone would have to be crazy not to take advice from you. So whatever you're thinking, let me know. I miss talking with you and I want your help with all of this. You're the first person who believed I could change, and I want to prove you right._

 _I don't know when I'll get to see you again, but since I can't call you without risking you getting in trouble, I guess this letter is the closest thing I'll get to talking with you until you come back to Angeles. And I have no doubt you will be coming back._

 _I understand if you don't respond to this letter, but I had to send it anyway. Thank you for putting up with all my problems and I hope to hear from you soon._

 _Your friend,_

 _Ryan_

Every time she read one of his letters it brought a smile to her face, but the first one he sent her was her absolute favorite. It was also the only one she had responded to. She didn't know how to respond to his other letters, but she liked rereading the words he'd written just for her. She remembered her only response. How she'd encouraged him to persevere with doing the right thing and try to help Brandon and his father. She'd also promised him to try and work things out with Stella, which hadn't worked out well for her. Juliet had also told him that he could talk about his problems with her any time he wanted to.

The rest of his letters to her told her about all his progress and the things he was planning to do once Brandon got back and he could officially become a part of running the country. Until then he was shadowing his father in meetings and attempting to learn all the things he'd put off for years. Juliet wouldn't say it out loud, but she was incredibly proud of the progress Ryan had made and she couldn't wait to see him again the next day.

She didn't need to read his other letters, the first one had melted her heart all over again. Without looking at the others she knew that these letters were the only things she needed to bring back to the palace with her, everything else didn't matter.


	55. Wouldn't Change A Thing

**Hey! I know it's been a while but hopefully since this chapter is long it makes up for it. Thank you so much to my amazing reviewers** BookishLifeandCoffee **(x3),** wolfofstark, **and** XOStarbrightXO **(x2). This chapter is for you!**

 **...**

Juliet was excited to be back in Angeles. The warm costal weather was a stark contrast from the cloudy days she'd had in Hansport. Even though she was excited to see her friends again, she wasn't ready to head down to the Women's Room and become a part of the Elite again. Part of her wished she could have stayed at home, she wasn't ready for the spotlight to be on her again. When she was back home it was easy to pretend she was just plain Juliet, not Lady Juliet one of the Elite. At home everything felt simpler, and now that she was back Juliet wasn't sure if she was ready for people to start paying attention to her again. It had been nice to have a break where she could relax and not worry about people watching her, or them noticing that she didn't have the same feelings for Brandon that she'd had ten weeks ago. She was scared to face the other girls, certain they'd be able to see the change in her. Juliet had never been good at hiding her emotions, instead her heart was always on her sleeve.

But Juliet knew she couldn't avoid her friends forever. She stood up from her bed and made her way to the door. Halfway there something smacked against her window. Juliet stopped and turned around, trying to figure out what had happened. As she watched, something bounced off the glass door of her balcony. She tentatively made her way to the door, part of her fearing it was a rebel attack. Another projectile landed on her balcony and Juliet realized that it was a small pebble. Curiosity overtook her fear and she opened the door.

She crossed the balcony and looked over the edge, a smile taking over her face. Ryan stood below in the gardens, grinning up at her. When he caught sight of her bright hair his smile grew.

"Juliet, Juliet. Wherefore art thou, Juliet?"

Juliet shook her head at him and how cheesy it was that he was quoting that to her.

"I think that's my line, Romeo," she joked, referencing the play he'd quoted.

He grinned sheepishly, "It's kind of the only line I know. I've never seen that play before."

"Of course you haven't."

"Well do you know what _I'm_ supposed to say?" he called up.

Juliet's cheeks colored because she did. She'd helped out with so many plays and had seen _Romeo and Juliet_ on stage enough times to have most of it memorized. Plus she'd always been fascinated by the play she'd been named for.

She placed a hand on her heart in an overly dramatic pose and began to quote, "But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet," she pointed to herself, "is the sun."

"Okay, Sun," he teased, "are you going to come down here or do I have to climb the balcony?"

She pretended to think about it so he spoke again, "I hope you know that was a joke. I have no possible way of scaling the wall to get to the second floor."

Juliet looked down and saw that he was right, there was nothing he could use to climb up and almost no handholds on the smooth wall.

"I'll be right down," she called.

This time there was no hesitation as she left her room. She flew through the halls and down the stairs until she reached the door that led to the garden. She stopped to catch her breath before she opened it and continued outside.

Ryan was waiting for her and when she saw him she quickened her pace until she was close enough to hug him.

"Hey, Jules, it's good to see you," he hugged her back tightly, "even if you didn't respond to most of my letters."

Juliet released him and wouldn't meet his eyes, "I know. I just thought most of what I wanted to say needed to be said face to face."

"Like what?" He started walking down the path and Juliet followed him, hurrying to catch up.

"Like that I'm so proud of you for changing and I knew you could do it. I know it can't have been easy for you, but you managed to do it anyway. And also that it was brave of you to stand up to your father and show him that you were serious about things, especially because Brandon wasn't there to help you. And that even though Brandon is back I know you'll keep helping out in meetings and trying to change the country for the better."

Ryan turned to her, "You really think all of that?"

"And more."

"Jules, that's already the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I don't think I could take anymore."

"Too bad because I'm not done," she said forcefully before softening her voice as she told him all the things that had been pent up for weeks, "I know you think people are disappointed in you and that nobody really believes in you, but that's _not_ true. Because _I_ do. I know that if you put your mind to something nobody can stop you. And I know that when Serenity has her baby you're going to be a great uncle and that kid will look up to you for the rest of his or her life. I know you'll never disappoint that child and you'll spend the next years making sure that kid inherits a great country and that you'll do _everything_ you can to help prepare them so that they never have to feel the things you did when you refused a Selection."

Ryan was silent for a minute and Juliet thought she'd crossed a line.

"I think you're the only person who's ever thought I could do anything. And more than that, you're the only one who encouraged me to actually do it. Without you, I don't think I would even care where this country is headed, but because of you I get to be a part of changing it." Ryan admitted softly.

"I had nothing to with it, Ryan, you made the changes all on your own."

"No, Juliet, I didn't. You're the one who made changes. You changed me for the better and I won't ever forget that. I can't even imagine going back to how things were before I met you."

He turned to look at her and Juliet found herself unable to meet his gaze. She bit her lip and looked down. When she looked up, Ryan had closed the distance between them.

Juliet felt her heart speed up but she wasn't prepared for him to bend down and kiss her. When his lips met hers she froze for a second before she began kissing him back. This kiss was nothing like their last one. Before, he'd been drunk and sloppy, but this time every move was deliberate. Juliet felt sparks every place her skin touched his and she reached up and wrapped her hands in his hair, pulling him even closer. His hands moved up and down her back, binding her to him. The air felt electric and Juliet loved it. She'd never been kissed like that before and she didn't want it to stop. Everything about them was on fire and Juliet couldn't help but think of lightning. Because that's what the kiss was to her. The chances of Ryan kissing her were the same as getting struck by lightning. In fact, Juliet wouldn't have been surprised if lightning was running through Ryan's veins. That's what she felt when she kissed him. He was lightning. He was wild and uncontrollable, a lightning storm. He had always been a storm and he always would be. But that was okay. Because he would always be a storm and she would always be a girl who danced in the rain.

 **...**

"I can't believe the Elite are coming back today," Brook said to Amelia and Priya.

They were the only three women in the room and the space had never felt more lonely. The few weeks she'd been back the Women's Room had felt empty and quiet without the Elite there. Even though only five girls would be returning, Brook was sure that the addition of them would make the room feel more homey again. Brook loved her sisters but she couldn't wait for the Elite to return so that she'd have more people to talk with again. And one of them was her future sister so Brook was determined to get to know all of them as well as she could.

"It doesn't feel like they've been gone ten weeks," Priya admitted, "it seems like just yesterday they left."

"I know," Brook agreed, "although it didn't feel like I was in Italy for eight weeks. The time just flew."

"When are they arriving?" Priya asked Amelia, scanning the clipboard in her hand to make sure it would fit with her itinerary.

"They should be here already. We tried to schedule the departures so that all of the girls would arrive within an hour of each other. The three girls from the North were on the same plane and the other two should have arrived before them. I would imagine the girls are in their rooms, either changing clothes or recovering from their journeys." Amelia responded, hardly bothering to look up from the papers that were in front of her.

"I hope they come down here soon," Brook said, "it'll be so nice to see them all."

"Well, they should arrive soon and if they're smart they'll come down here. All of them will have much more work to do now that they're back," Amelia told the princess, "Lessons will start again tomorrow morning and they will be much harder than before, not to mention the ladies only have two weeks to come up with a philanthropy project to present on the Report."

"I hope they come up with good ideas. The philanthropy projects are always one of the most watched Reports during the Selection. I remember when Serenity proposed her project, people thought it was good but unrealistic, but she managed to get funding for it anyway."

"I'm sure all of the girls will come up with great projects," Priya said, "they're all smart, caring people so this should be easy for them."

"I hope so, but in my experience these projects take a lot more work than it seems," Amelia told them.

"They still have a few weeks to figure it out, especially if they start thinking about it now," Priya added.

Brook nodded and Amelia left for the hallway to order tea for everyone. When she returned Sera, Amara, and London were with her. Brook jumped to her feet, racing across the room to pull each of the girls into an embrace.

"I'm so glad you're back!" she exclaimed, "Did you have a good time with your families?"

Sera nodded emphatically, "It was so nice to see them again. I didn't realize how much I missed them until I got home."

Neither London nor Amara offered up any information so Brook smiled at them, "Ten weeks is a long time, but I'm glad I get to see you again."

"I'm glad to be back," London said, "I missed everything about this place while I was gone."

"Me too," Amara agreed as Cosmina entered the room and all the girls surrounded her, giving her hugs and asking her questions, "though it is weird to think that there's only five of us left now."

"Where's Juliet?" Sera wondered, "I haven't seen her yet."

"I'm sure she'll be down later, she probably just wanted a little time to herself," Amara said.

"I couldn't wait to come down here," London said giddily, "I couldn't go any longer without seeing you all."

Sera gave London another hug and agreed.

Before the girls could continue catching up, Amelia cleared her throat and got everyone's attention.

"I am glad to see you all again, ladies, and I look forward to catching up with you throughout the afternoon. However, I think you should know that things will be different. Lessons will be much tougher and last longer. In about a month one of you will become a princess, and it is my job to ensure that whoever she is, she is prepared for that post. It is not a task I take lightly, and neither should you. Your first assignment will be to come up with a philanthropy project. This project should be something you are passionate about, something that could be continued should you become princess. You will have a few weeks to prepare your presentations, I just wanted to give you time to start thinking about them. If you have any questions at all I am here for you, as is Lady Priya. We'll talk more about this in lessons tomorrow, but for now I just want you to enjoy your first day back."

Amara looked at her friends and saw unease on some of their faces. It was a daunting task but she knew exactly what her project would be and she couldn't wait to get started on it. Her friends all looked worried though.

"Come on," she told them, "we don't need to worry about those until tomorrow. For now let's talk about the important things."

"Like what?" Sera wondered.

Amara turned to Brook with a grin, "Like every detail of your trip to Italy."

 **…**

The Elite spent the entire afternoon of their return in the Women's Room. Juliet eventually joined them and all the women enjoyed catching up. When it was time for them to go change for dinner none of them wanted to leave. The five girls walked up to the second floor together, nobody wanting to be the first to break away. Cosmina finally turned toward her room, giving her friends a wave as she left them.

Inside her room, Cosmina's maids jumped on her, happy to have her back under their care again. Her head maid, Delilah, quickly sat her down and began removing the pins from her hair while one of her other maids rifled through the closet. She emerged with a pair of jeans and a pretty peach top.

"So I know I've been gone for a few months but I don't think the dress code around here changed. Isn't that too casual for dinner?" Cosmina wondered.

Delilah smiled, "Normally, yes, but Prince Brandon has a surprise for all you girls tonight and we were told to dress you like this. That doesn't mean we can't make you stand out with your hair and makeup though."

"What's the surprise?" Cosmina asked excitedly.

"I have no idea," her maid replied, "but I'm sure you're going to love it."

She began sectioning off Cosmina's hair to curl when there was a knock on the door. Delilah opened it to reveal London, who was still in her day dress from the afternoon.

"Hey," she chirped, "did your maids tell you about the surprise?"

"Yeah, but they wouldn't tell me what it was," Cosmina said.

"Mine either," London pouted before smiling again, "but anyway, Sera and I thought that since tonight is more casual it might be fun if all of us got ready together, plus then we could all go downstairs at the same time."

"Sounds fun!"

"It will be! We're all gonna get ready in my room so you can head over whenever you want."

"Okay."

Cosmina stood up, her hair still clipped into sections, and walked to the door. Her maids gathered up her makeup and followed behind her.

In London's room the other girls were already getting ready. Sera made even jeans and a tank top look elegant and her maid was currently pulling her hair up into a high ponytail.

"Hey, Mina," Amara greeted her, waving carefully so that she wouldn't disturb the maid that was curling her hair.

Cosmina took a seat by her friend and let her maid finish curling her hair.

London looked stunning in a mint top with her normally curly hair straightened for the evening. Juliet's bright hair was pulled up into a messy bun and Sera was attempting to apply bright red lipstick to the redhead.

"Come on, Juliet," she coaxed, "I know it's not your style, but just for tonight. And maybe wear some bold eyeliner too."

"Hmm," she thought for a minute, "I'll wear it if you don't. Tonight I'll be bold and you can wear lip gloss and blush. It's not what you're used to, but you'll look great."

"Deal," Sera smiled and let her maid begin redoing her makeup.

Amara's curls were pulled into a low side ponytail and her maids kept her makeup natural, the way she liked while Cosmina allowed Delilah a little more freedom. Her dark curls were left down and they tickled her shoulders anytime she moved. Cosmina couldn't remember the last time she'd left her hair down long without some of it pulled back, and it felt strange. Cosmina also wore more makeup than usual with a pale pink lipstick and winged eyeliner.

"Does anyone have an idea what we're doing tonight?" Cosmina wondered.

"I bet we're leaving the palace," Amara suggested, "why else would we dress casually?"

"I just hope it's something fun," London said, "and that it has food. I'm really hungry."

"Me too," Sera agreed, "do you think it's too early to head down?"

"Not if all of us go," Amara said, "if we're all there then Brandon is late, no matter what time we were supposed to be there."

"Okay, so let's go," London said, bouncing over to the door in her excitement.

The girls made their way down to the first floor. Brandon was already standing at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for them. He was wearing jeans and a polo shirt, looking causal just like the girls.

He hugged each of the Elite and when he got to Cosmina she whispered, "So what's the surprise?"

Brandon just laughed, "You have to wait and see."

He led them to the front doors where his siblings were. The two princesses were dressed like the Elite and had knowing smiles on their faces.

The group left the palace and got into the waiting car, taking up nearly all of the seats.

"Is anyone going to tell us where we're going?" Sera asked when the car had been driving for nearly ten minutes.

"We're almost there," Brooklyn told her.

The car pulled to a stop and everyone got out.

"You're kidding me!" London exclaimed, "We're going bowling?"

Brandon smiled, "I thought it would be fun."

"I love bowling," Cosmina said.

Brandon took them inside and got them set up on two lanes. They were the only people in the building and Brandon explained that they had rented out the business for the night.

"Are there going to be cameras here?" Sera wondered.

Brandon shook his head, "I wanted it to be just us for tonight."

"Awesome!" London exclaimed.

"Thanks."

Brandon helped get the lanes set up before going up to the counter and ordering burgers and milkshakes for everyone. When the food arrived all the girls squealed and took long drinks from their shakes. Brook was especially excited about the greasy fries and made Brandon get her an extra order.

The bowling was fun and Amara's competitive spirit was hurt when she kept throwing gutter balls. Cosmina and Natalie were the two best girls, both of them happy when they broke 100. With a score over 200, Ryan beat everyone, a fact that he didn't let them forget.

"Anyone want to do another game?" He drawled.

"No. Bowling is stupid," Amara muttered.

"If you want there's a laser tag arena in the back. We could go play that," Brandon offered.

"Yes! Laser tag is way better."

London laughed, "Have you ever played laser tag before, Mar?"

"No, but I can't possibly be worse at it than bowling."

"That's true," Brandon agreed, earning him a playful smack from the redhead.

The group made their way to the back room where a laser tag arena was set up. They began strapping on their vests and adjusting the plastic guns that hung down.

"Should we have teams?" Brook asked, tightening the straps on her vest.

"We can't have teams, Brookie, there's nine of us, they wouldn't be even," Ryan told her.

"You're just saying that because no one would want you on their team," she retorted.

"It's okay, Brook," Nat pacified her sister, "we'll just do everyone for themselves, alright?"

"Fine," the princess huffed as the door opened and a countdown began.

Everyone scattered, trying to find a spot before the timer ran out and they could start shooting.

Brandon ran up a ramp so that he was on the upper level where he could look down at the others. He spotted Sera crouched behind a wall and saw Nat appear on the upper level near him. As soon as the timer ended he shot his sister, smiling when her vest turned red and indicated she'd been hit. Before he could move, his vest vibrated and he looked down to where Sera had shot him from.

Brandon turned and began running back to the lower level. Halfway down he spotted London running around and he aimed for her, ducking down before she could retaliate. He slowly crawled the rest of the way down the ramp before he stood up and took off running. He barreled around a corner and smacked into someone. Both of them stumbled but kept their guns raised. Brandon focused on who he had hit and saw Amara's green eyes watching him carefully.

"Truce?" He offered, lowering his weapon.

She nodded and walked closer. Another figure bolted around the corner and stopped when she saw Brandon and Amara. Cosmina froze, unsure of who was the bigger threat, but Brandon reached out and pulled her closer so that she was more sheltered.

"Want to join our alliance?" He offered.

She smirked, "Alliance?"

"Yeah. Us three against everyone else."

Cosmina smiled, "Okay."

The three of them slowly made their way around the corner, watching for anyone else. London came running though, shooting at all three of them and then backing up quickly. Amara started to chase after her but Brandon pulled her back. Amara stayed for a minute before her competitive spirit won out. She turned and took a shot at Brandon and Cosmina before chasing after London.

Brandon looked at Cosmina to see if she had left too, but she was still there. They carefully snuck around the obstacles, standing back to back and shooting at anyone who came at them. They walked around a corner and were both hit. Brandon pulled Cosmina back and peeked around the wall. His brother was there, waiting to ambush anyone who came near him from several different angles.

Ryan caught sight of his brother and smirked.

Brandon looked at Cosmina, "Okay, you sneak around and get him from behind. I'll distract him."

Cosmina nodded and began sneaking around the obstacles.

Brandon popped back around the corner just as Juliet was running by. She tried to move around Ryan but he grabbed her. He spun her around so that she was in front of him, shielding him from Brandon. Juliet tried to free herself but Ryan held her tighter, aiming his gun over her shoulder at Brandon.

"Let me go," Juliet demanded, twisting around and trying to free herself.

Ryan ignored her and continued to shoot at his brother. Brandon shot back and hit Juliet. He looked over and saw Cosmina was almost behind Ryan. She took one more step and shot the prince. Ryan looked up, startled and it gave Juliet the leverage she needed to break away. The redhead shot at Ryan before turning and running off in the opposite direction. Ryan chased after her and Brandon turned around just as Cosmina shot him then ran in the opposite direction of Juliet. Brandon stood dumbfounded for a minute before he turned and began looking for his next target.

When the laser tag game was over everyone gathered to see their scores. London was first and Amara was second with Brook in third. The victory made Amara considerably happier and she was even willing to play another game of bowling before they left for the night. Sera and Juliet opted to sit the game out and instead ate ice cream while they watched the rest of their friends play. They cheered on everyone in turn and when the game was over nobody really cared about the scores, they were just happy to have had such a fun night.

Everyone piled into the car to head back to the palace, exhausted but happy.

After a few minutes London sighed in contentment, "This was the best night ever."

The others all agreed with her sentiments. It truly had been one of best nights of the Selection, and it was made even more special by the fact that they hadn't seen each other in months and their first night together was perfect.

But there was an unspoken tension between the Elite. The royals didn't have to worry and could just enjoy the night, but for the girls they all knew that things were different now. They were still best friends, but now with only five girls left the real competition was just beginning.

 **...**

 **Alright guys, I hope you liked this chapter and please leave me a review that lets me know what you think. For the creators who still have girls left it would be amazing if you could PM me (either on here or on Pinterest) and let me know what you want for your character's philanthropy project because I'll need those in a few chapters.**

 **Thanks so much for reading!**

 **~Jen**


	56. Everything Comes Back To You

**Hey! So now that I have the rest of the story planned out its gotten a lot easier to write it. Updates should be coming much faster now. I'm hoping to have the next chapter out in a few days, so yay! Thanks so much to my amazing reviewers:** Cbear88 **,** Miss Kaydence **,** Cookiedoodles168 **,** alexiaroosenhaan **, and** wolf of stark **. I hope you all like this chapter and don't forget to review it!**

 **...**

"How have the meetings been going?" Natalie asked her sister-in-law as they walked down the hallway together.

They were on their way to the women's room, but with Serenity in her last trimester, it took them much longer than usual to get from the third floor to the first.

"It's been okay," the blonde and replied, "the advisors still don't take me as seriously as they did Matt, but I'm hoping if I can help fix the rebel problem they'll respect me more."

"How's that going?" Natalie wondered, "Have you confirmed where the safe houses are yet?"

Serenity sighed, "No. It's been harder than we thought to confirm the locations. We've sent in scouts but haven't heard anything back. If we still don't have any information in a week then we'll assume the spies have been compromised. I'm not sure what to do if we can't confirm those houses. They're the _only_ lead we have."

"I'm sure it'll work out, Wren. Matthew's death wasn't for nothing. It _can't_ have been for nothing. We're going to find the rebels and make sure that they don't hurt anyone else the way they hurt us."

"I'm sure you're right," Serenity admitted, "I just feel like everyone is waiting for me to mess up, so that they can prove I can't be the leader that Matthew was. I feel all this pressure to live up to him, and I don't think I can."

"That's not true, Serenity. You've been an amazing princess and you'll be an incredible queen. If my parents and the advisors didn't believe in you, they wouldn't let you ascend the throne."

Serenity gave a weak smile, "Thanks, Nat."

The two girls continued their walk, rounding a corner on the second floor. They were in the hallway near the Elite's bedrooms when Serenity stopped. Natalie continued for a few steps before she realized she was alone.

"Are you okay?" Nat asked, returning to her sister's side.

Serenity gave a terse nod, her face contorted in pain.

"What is it?" Natalie demanded.

"Contractions," Serenity gasped.

"What?! Are you in labor? We need to get you to the hospital wing."

"No," Serenity shook her head, "it's false labor. Contractions to help prepare my body for when the baby comes. I've been getting them for the past few weeks."

"Do they hurt?"

"Kind of. I talked to my doctors about them. They said it's good to practice breathing techniques when these contractions happen. That usually helps. Normally they just last a few minutes."

"Is there anything I can do?" Natalie wondered.

"Actually, a glass of water would be good."

"Be right back," Nat promised, hurrying off.

Serenity let out a breath and sank down onto the cool marble floor as another wave of pain hit her abdomen. She followed the breathing techniques the doctors had given her and soon the contraction had passed.

The princess knew she should get up. She didn't want to have to explain herself if a maid or Selected found her slumped over on the floor, but she didn't want to risk moving and triggering another contraction. So she stayed sitting on the floor, rubbing a hand absently over her stomach. Her baby kicked wherever her hand touched and Serenity couldn't help but smile. Within the next few weeks her child would be out in the world, she'd be able to hold her baby in her arms, and she couldn't wait for that day.

A wailing siren interrupted Serenity's thoughts and her heart began to race. The last time she'd heard this alarm her husband had been killed. All the emotions from that day came rushing back to her. Serenity's stomach was tied in knots and it was hard for her to breathe. She knew she needed to move but she felt rooted to the spot.

It was only when she heard gunshots from down the hall that her feet decided to move. She began the Herculean task of trying to pull herself up from the floor and into a standing position. After several failed attempts, she began crawling, dragging herself to the nearest room to wait out the attack.

Usually there were guards posted on every floor but since the Elite were all in the Women's Room the guards were there too. Footsteps pounded up the stairs and Serenity crawled faster.

"Wren!" a panicked voice called.

Serenity glanced over her shoulder and saw Natalie running toward her.

"What are you doing here?" Serenity demanded, "You should be in the safe room by now."

"I couldn't just leave you here," Natalie explained while she reached down and helped pull Serenity to her feet.

"Did you see any rebels?"

"I heard them on the first floor. A lot of guards were going to fight them, but I didn't see the rebels."

"Do you think we're winning?" Serenity whispered.

"I don't know, but we have to get to the safe room _now_."

Natalie took Serenity's hand and began pulling her down the hallway, the pregnant princess doing her best to keep up.

Footsteps sounded on the hard floor and both girls froze until a guard rounded the corner in front of them.

"Your Highnesses," he gasped, "follow me."

He raised his gun, but before he could use it another figure barreled around the corner. The guard looked unsure whether the stranger was a threat or not. He aimed his gun at the stranger's heart but a scream from the princess made him freeze.

"Don't shoot him!" Natalie commanded, "He's not a threat. Lower your weapon."

The guard turned his attention to Natalie and that was his downfall. The sandy haired boy that Nat had defended raised his own weapon and shot the guard through the chest.

Both princesses jumped but Natalie was the one who spoke. Her heart was breaking as she looked at the boy she had thought she loved.

Her voice shook as she asked, "B-Bennett? What are you doing? He was helping us."

Bennett barely spared her a glance, "Move aside, Nat."

Instead Natalie pressed closer to her sister-in-law, shielding the petite girl and unborn child with her own body.

"Why, Bennett?" she whispered, "I thought we were friends. I-I loved you. Why are you doing this?"

The hurt in her voice broke some of his icy exterior, but not all of it.

"The why doesn't matter, Natalie."

Natalie tried to keep herself from crying as she looked at Bennett, but he'd always been good at reading her.

"Was any of it real?" she asked, her voice breaking, "Did you ever care about me or was I just a game to you? A way to get information?" Her voice became angrier the more she spoke and she relished the pain on Bennett's face, "Well?"

"Nat, I don't have time to answer your questions."

She glared at him and crossed her arms, defiance written on her face.

"I don't want to hurt you, Nat. I promise. If you just move over, you don't need to get hurt. I'll make sure nobody hurts you no matter what happens. I do care about you, but I have an assignment and if you don't move over I will have to shoot you. _Please_ don't make me shoot you."

"Are you going to kill Serenity?" Natalie whispered.

"I don't want to, Natalie. If I don't kill her, they _will_ kill me. They gave me this chance and if I don't take it they'll know. The rebels would never let me live if I let you two go."

"You don't have to do this. We can protect you. Just let us go. I'll make sure the rebels don't get you."

Bennett shook his head, "I'm sorry, Nat, but I can't. You need to move."

"No."

"I'm going to count to five and if you haven't moved, I will shoot."

Nat tried to plead, "Bennett-"

"One."

" _Don't_."

"Two."

Serenity put a hand on Natalie's arm, "Move, Natalie. You shouldn't have to die for me."

"It's what Matt would have wanted," Nat responded.

"Three."

Natalie closed her eyes, knowing she had only seconds left to live. Serenity reached down and squeezed Natalie's hand, saying without words what she felt.

More footsteps echoed down the hallway and Nat opened her eyes. Bennett still had his gun pointed at the girls but he was looking all around the hallway to see who was coming. Natalie prayed it was a guard but she knew it was most likely another rebel.

All of a sudden the footsteps stopped. Nat looked around again but still didn't see anyone. Bennett must have thought the person was gone too because he once again leveled the gun at Natalie.

"I'm begging you, Natalie, _please_ move."

She stood even taller, blocking as much of Serenity as she could, "I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm sorry," he whispered. Bennett's hand shook but there was a new determination in his eyes.

"No!" someone screamed, racing into the hallway from around the corner where Juliet's room was, "Not my sister!"

Ryan charged at Bennett, tackling the rebel to the ground. The gun let off a shot and Natalie screamed as the bullet buried itself in the wall near her head. The two boys wrestled on the ground, fighting for control of the gun. Ryan managed to land a punch to Bennett's face, and the rebel's nose began to bleed. Ryan punched him again and Bennett let go of the gun to push Ryan away. Now that he was on the offensive Bennett began toying with Ryan, landing punch after punch to the prince. Ryan had a split lip and was going to have a black eye by the time Bennett tackled him, pushing against his windpipe to cut off his air. Ryan choked and thrashed but couldn't throw off Bennett. Natalie knew if she didn't do something her brother was going to die.

She raced across the hallway to where the gun lay discarded on the ground. Nat had never held a gun before and it felt foreign in her hands. She pointed it at Bennett but her hand was shaking too badly for her to risk a shot.

Natalie walked closer, the gun held in front of her. When she got close enough she held the barrel to Bennett's head.

"Let go of my brother," she demanded, her voice cold.

Bennett turned to her and laughed, "Or what? It's not like you'd actually shoot me. You don't have the guts."

Natalie longed for her finger to pull the trigger but she knew Bennett was right. She was no killer, and at this close range there was no way she would miss. So instead, Natalie lowered the gun until it was level with his leg and then she pulled the trigger.

 **...**

"I want to see him," the blonde demanded, authority dripping off her in waves.

"That's not a good idea, Your Highness." The guard informed her, trying to make her see reason.

"I'm not asking," Serenity told him, "so open the door."

"Your Highness, this rebel almost killed you and I have no doubt that he will do everything in his power to hurt you again."

"He is in an interrogation room bound in chains with a bullet wound in his leg, I don't think he's much of a threat right now."

"The rebel is not physically a threat, but in your current condition it's best for you not to get stressed or upset and talking with this rebel will be both stressful and upsetting."

Serenity was so frustrated she wanted to pull her own hair out, "If you want to avoid me getting stressed and upset then I suggest you open the door and let me talk with him."

"Princess, we have people trained in interrogation techniques. They will be able to get the necessary information out of him, I assure you."

"You don't understand," Serenity explained, "I _know_ he won't give me the information, but I want to speak with him anyway. He helped to kill my husband and he would have killed me. He had a _gun_ to my sister's _head_. I _need_ to speak to him."

"Your Highness-"

Serenity didn't let him finish, "Open the door," Serenity ordered, her voice hard.

With a resigned look the guard opened the door and saluted his princess as she walked through it.

In the room was a single chair in front of a one way glass window. Through the window Serenity saw the rebel that had attacked her and Natalie in the hallway. According to the palace records he was Bennett Quinn from Likely, but Serenity was sure most of the information they had was wrong.

Bennett was sitting in a hard chair with his hands bound to it. His leg had been bandaged so that he wouldn't bleed to death, but other than that they had left his injuries alone, not willing to heal him too much. After Nat had shot him, it had been easy to get a guard to take Bennett into custody. They'd kept him isolated for a few days but now Serenity was ready to talk with him. Even though he couldn't see Serenity he glared at her through the glass. Serenity knew there were speakers in the room so that he could here her and the guards had hooked a microphone up to Bennett so that he could speak to Serenity without her having to be in the room with him.

Serenity took her seat in front of the window and tried to stop her hands from shaking as she reached for the microphone on her side of the glass.

"Can you hear me?" she asked. There was no answer so she repeated her question louder.

Bennett still didn't answer her but he looked up at her and Serenity knew he was listening.

"I'm going to ask you some questions and it would be beneficial for you to answer them. If you don't want to talk with me then someone else will come in, and I guarantee you they won't be as pleasant as me."

Bennett didn't acknowledge her but Serenity pressed on.

"How long have you been affiliated with the rebels?"

Bennett's silence continued.

"How long?"

When he continued to ignore her Serenity switched topics.

"Why did you masquerade as a palace employee?"

Bennett snorted, "Why did you send spies into our bases?" he retorted.

Serenity gasped, knowing that the soldiers she'd dispatched were most likely dead.

She couldn't focus on that so she changed topics, "Why did you try to kill me?" she wondered.

"Isn't it obvious?" he sneered, "You're a dictator and once you have your baby it will be a dictator too. The only way to free people from your oppression is to stop you from having that baby. Then maybe we can stop your family once and for all."

"This family has spent generations trying to make Illéa the best country it could possibly be and you're trying to tear all of that down. Do you even know what would happen if you dethrone the Schreaves? It won't be some easy takeover. It will be utter chaos with different groups vying for the crown. A lot of people will die and it will be your fault."

Bennett spoke quietly, "It won't be like that."

Serenity laughed rudely, "Who told you it wouldn't? The _Africans_? They want this country to get trapped in a civil war. Once we've torn each other apart it'll make it so much easier for them to step in and take over. You have nothing without their money, and they know that. They're just having you do their dirty work, and once you've gotten rid of my family they'll stop funding you and take over. You can't honestly think they'll care about the people here more than I do."

"They can't be worse than you," he spat.

"You forget that I wasn't born royalty. I grew up in Dakota, I've seen firsthand how the lower castes live and once I am queen things are going to change. Things will get better and you can either help me or hinder me, but you will _not_ stop me."

"Why on earth would I help you?"

"Because we both want the same thing, Bennett. We want to see Illéa prosper. So please, tell me where the rebel bases are so that we can keep Illéa safe from war."

Bennett started to laugh, "You know, I almost believe you. But I would _die_ before I gave you any information."

"What about Natalie? Would you tell her? You two seemed pretty friendly in the hallway."

Bennett's face turned dark, "Leave her out of this."

"If I didn't know how good of an actor you were, I'd think you actually cared about her. But you were going to shoot her in that hallway, so I know the truth. You played her good though, she's been torn up ever since that day."

Bennett shook his head, "She was so easy to manipulate. She's very lonely and gets overlooked all the time. I was one of the first people to put her first and actually listen to her. She told me whatever I wanted, but I wasn't supposed to care about her. I got lucky when she befriended me. She was just supposed to be a way to get information, I wasn't supposed to actually like her. And if I hadn't liked her, you would be dead. If she hadn't been with you, I wouldn't have hesitated to shoot you in that hallway a few days ago. I shouldn't have hesitated and now I'm paying for it."

"You're despicable," Serenity said, voice filled with venom. Anger was building in her, her stomach filled with it and her hands were shaking.

"Are we done here? I'm ready to go back to my cell."

Serenity jumped up, even though he couldn't see her, her stomach cramped up but she ignored it, "No, we're not done! You haven't answered any of my questions!"

"And I'm not going to."

Another painful cramp hit Serenity's stomach and she gasped.

"Don't sound so surprised," Bennett ordered, "I won't talk for anything."

Serenity was too busy breathing through a contraction to listen to his words. She was about to ask him to repeat himself when she felt a warm wet substance dripping down her legs.

She looked down at the now wet floor, wondering what had happened. It was only when more pain flooded through her that she realized her water had broken.

With a cry she stumbled from the room.

"Are you alright, Your Highness?" The guard outside the room asked.

"I'm fine," she gasped. After breathing through a contraction she spoke again, "I don't care what you have to do, I want those locations confirmed by the end of the week. Send an interrogator in first thing tomorrow. That rebel knows where the houses are and he will tell us. Do _whatever_ you need to. I will not raise my child in a world where terrorists make demands and threaten us everyday."

"Yes ma'am. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Get me to the hospital wing, it's time for this baby to be born."


	57. Where I'm Meant To Be

**Hey guys! So this chapter is it. The baby is officially here! I hope you all like how it turned out. Thanks to my new reviewer** hopewantsaletter **as well as** XOStarbrightXO, Miss Kaydence, Cbear88, alexiaroosenhaan, **and** LeaGirlWriter22 **(x2) for their support. You guys are the best!**

 **...**

Brandon was in the movie theater on a date with Cosmina. His arm was wrapped around her and neither of them were paying much attention to the movie screen in front of them. Brandon pulled Cosmina closer and when she turned to him he leaned down to capture her lips. She kissed him back and made no objection when he deepened the kiss, leaning her all the way back on the couch.

Brandon had been trying to go on more dates since the Elite had gotten back. He knew the time was approaching when he would have to end the Selection, but he was no closer to choosing a wife. He was spending more time with each of the girls but he couldn't make up his mind. Whichever girl was with him at the time seemed like a perfect fit, but then he'd be with a different girl and feel just as strongly for her.

Cosmina's fingers trailed down Brandon's back and he buried his hand in her dark curls. Her leg wrapped around his waist and her hands found the edge of his shirt. She was in the middle of pulling his shirt off when the door to the theater burst open.

"Brandon!" a feminine voice called, "Where are you? It's so dark in here."

Brooklyn fumbled in the doorway then found the light and turned it on. Brandon froze and Cosmina quickly pulled his shirt back down.

"I swear, Brook, this better be something _important_ ," Brandon told her, sitting up and releasing Cosmina.

Brook's cheeks reddened at the sight of Cosmina on the couch.

"It is important, but if I'd known this is what I'd walk into then I would have sent someone else to get you," the princess replied.

Cosmina sat up, her face as flushed as Brook's.

Brandon was the only one who wasn't embarrassed, he just looked irritated at his little sister.

"Don't get all high and mighty on me, Brook, I know you and Lorenzo have done just as much."

Brook's blush deepened but she didn't contradict her brother.

"What did you want?" Brandon asked, slightly less annoyed.

"We have to go to the hospital wing. _Serenity's having the baby_!" She squealed in joy at the end but Brandon froze, sure he'd misheard her.

"What?"

"She went into labor this morning, it's been almost ten hours but they think she's about to have the baby so I came to get you."

Cosmina put a hand on Brandon's shoulder and Brandon realized he was lost in his thoughts and hadn't replied to Brook.

"You need to go. I'll head back to the Women's Room, I still need to finish my project for the Report," she told him.

Brandon nodded, "Thanks, Mina."

"Congrats to both of you, I can't wait to meet the baby."

Brandon's face broke into a smile at her words, "I'm going to be an uncle!"

He pulled Cosmina in for one more chaste kiss before standing and following his sister out of the room.

The siblings raced through the hallways, not wanting to miss the birth of their niece or nephew. When they got to the hospital wing they saw Natalie waiting. Despite the rough few days she'd had, she looked ecstatic at the prospect of becoming an aunt.

"What happened?" Brook gasped.

"I don't know. Ryan and mom and dad are with her right now. They won't let more than three people in."

"Oh."

The three siblings waited impatiently for the door to open. After what felt like another hour, Ryan popped his head into the hallway.

"She did it," he breathed in awe, "we have a nephew."

"Can we come in now?" Brook demanded impatiently.

"Let me check."

After a minute the king and queen exited the room, allowing their kids to enter.

In the room Serenity lay exhausted on the bed, a bundle of blankets in her arms.

"I'll leave so that you there can meet him," Ryan said.

"No," Serenity's voice was hoarse but determined, "I want all of you here, I don't care how many people the doctors think should be here. All four of you need to meet him."

Brandon crossed the room to his sister-in-law.

"I'm proud of you, Wren."

"Matt would be proud too," Ryan added, "he would love this baby more than anything, and I know you'll raise him to be an amazing prince. You've already done am incredible job with him."

Tears surfaced in Serenity's eyes, a combination of Ryan's words, her hormones, and the long day spent in labor, "Thank you, Ryan."

Ryan pressed a kiss to the top of her head and lifted his nephew from her arms.

"Hey, little man, it's so nice to finally meet you."

Ryan held the sleeping infant for a few more minutes before passing it off to his sisters. The girls cooed over him and then finally it was Brandon's turn.

"Careful, support his head," Ryan instructed, placing the baby into Brandon's outstretched arms.

Brandon nodded at his brother's words but only had eyes for the infant. Ryan watched like a hawk until he was sure the baby was safe before he backed off. It seemed like Ryan was intent on being the child's protector since Matthew wasn't there to do it.

Brandon wasn't sure if it was because the baby had been passed around so much or just because of how Brandon was holding him, but as soon as the infant was placed into Brandon's arms the baby's eyes fluttered open.

His eyes were a dark blue, much deeper than Serenity's. If Brandon had to guess he'd say that the baby's eyes would wind up brown, darkening over the next few months until they were like his father's. The child's bald head made it look like he was already inheriting his mother's blonde hair.

The baby looked at Brandon for another minute, struggling to keep his eyes open. Brandon cradled the baby closer to his chest.

"Welcome to the family, buddy."

After one more minute of peace the baby opened his mouth and let out a scream. His wails continued and Brandon looked to his sisters for help.

"He's just hungry," Serenity reassured Brandon, "you didn't do anything wrong. He didn't eat very much earlier. If you give him here I'll feed him," she extended her arms and Brandon deposited the baby into them.

"I'm sorry, Your Highnesses, but I think it would be best if you left," a nurse made her way over to them, "the princess and her child need rest and having all of you here is too distracting."

None of the siblings wanted to leave Serenity, but she smiled to reassure them.

"It's okay, I'll feed him and then you can come back in a few hours to see us," she snuggled her crying son closer and placed a soft kiss on his head.

"Alright," Natalie sighed, "bye sweetie," she cooed to her nephew.

The rest of the siblings said their goodbyes and slowly left the room.

Brook stopped at the door and turned back to her sister-in-law, "So Wren, have you picked a name yet?"

The blonde smiled, "I've been thinking about it. I want his middle name to be Matthew but I still have to pick a first name. But don't worry, Brook, once I decide you'll be the first to know."

"Thanks," Brook smiled and shut the door, leaving the new mother and her son alone for the first time.

Serenity smiled down at her baby, who had stopped crying and was on his way back to sleep, despite not having eaten. She couldn't imagine anything more perfect than this child, except having Matt there to share it with her.

Her baby squirmed a bit and opened his mouth in an adorable little yawn.

Serenity adjusted her child in her arms then reached over to the table by her bed. There wasn't much on it and Serenity picked up the only piece of paper. It was something she'd carried in her pocket for months now but today was the first time she'd looked at it in a while.

The list was in her husband's careful handwriting and Serenity remembered the day they'd made it. They'd sat in her parlor coming up with baby names for their child, but Serenity hadn't thought about a name since Matthew had died.

She looked over the list, ignoring all of the girl names he'd written down. Her eyes drifted over the possible names, seeing her suggestions as well as Matt's. She stopped halfway down the page. It was the name that had been Matthew's favorite but one Serenity had hated at the time.

"Christopher," she said, testing it out, "Prince Christopher Matthew Schreave."

Serenity still wasn't sure if she liked the name, but when she remembered how much Matthew had loved it she knew there was no way she could name their son anything else. The name was already growing on Serenity. Christopher was what Matt had wanted and Serenity couldn't think of anything better.

She pulled Christopher closer and gave him another kiss.

"Welcome to the world, Chris. You're going to have a tough life. People won't always like you, but I know you'll do amazing things. And don't worry, I'll always be here for you, whatever you need."

Even though he couldn't understand her, Serenity was sure that Christopher could feel her love. He was her baby and she would always look out for him.

A nurse came in and took the sleeping baby, taking him to a different room so that the doctors could monitor him for signs of any abnormalities.

Serenity tried to protest but the exhaustion from the day finally caught up to her. She watched her baby disappear and as soon as he was gone she finally gave in to sleep.

 **...**

"I can't believe we have a nephew," Brook exclaimed giddily to her sister.

The princesses were in Brook's room waiting for the chance to go back and visit Serenity and the baby later that afternoon.

"Do you think we should tell the Selected?" Brook wondered.

"No. Brandon will do that, or Serenity. And that's if they haven't heard already, news travels fast around here. They probably already know that Serenity is in the hospital," Nat responded.

"You're right," Brooklyn sighed, "I just wish there was something to make time go faster. I want to visit him again."

"Me too," Nat agreed, "and this is probably our only time to have him all to ourselves. Once his birth is announced the whole country will want to meet him. And of course we'll have to share him with the Elite while they're here."

"Yeah," Brook pouted, not wanting to share her nephew with anyone, let alone the whole world.

Thinking about her nephew made Nat realize something, "Hey, Brook. There's something I need to do. I'll be back, okay?"

Brook jumped up, "I'll come with you."

"No, this is something I need to do by myself, Brookie."

Brook nodded reluctantly but let her sister leave.

Natalie walked down the hallway to the first floor and her office before she lost her nerve. This was something she'd wanted to do for a long time, even before Bennett betrayed her, but now she had an excuse. After almost dying and the birth of her nephew, she had realized several things. She knew that she didn't love her fiancé Prince Oliver and she also knew that no matter how much she loved her country she wouldn't throw away her life to be with someone she didn't care about. Life could end at any moment and Natalie didn't want to waste hers on the other side of the world from her family and married to someone she could never love.

In her office Natalie took a breath to steel herself before dialing the number for her fiancé.

His secretary answered in a perky voice and was more than happy to send Natalie's call through to the prince.

"Natalie?" he asked, worry evident in his voice despite his accent, "Is everything alright?"

"Not exactly," Natalie explained, "I assume you heard about the recent attack on our palace?"

"We heard about some of it but there are lots of rumors going around."

"Well, the rebel that we captured managed to catch Princess Serenity and myself out of the safe rooms. He held us at gunpoint for several minutes until we managed to overtake him and hand him over to palace guards," her voice was detached and neutral because if she let herself think any more about it she knew that she would burst into tears over Bennett's betrayal.

"Are you okay? I can't believe that happened. You need to come to France. You can stay here until the wedding so that you'll be safe."

His kindness made what Nat was about to do so much harder. It would have been easy to break his heart if he were mean. But Oliver was kind and Natalie didn't want to hurt him, but she didn't have a choice.

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

"The wedding? Or coming to France?"

"Both."

"What about them?"

Natalie couldn't just come out and say it so she changed the subject, "Did you know Serenity had her baby this morning? It's a boy."

"Congratulations, but I don't see what that has to do with our wedding. Unless you want to postpone it until your nephew is older?"

Natalie knew she had to bite the bullet so she said her next words carefully, "No, I don't want to _postpone_ it. I want to cancel it."

Oliver was so silent that Natalie thought the line must have been disconnected.

"Wait. What?" his voice was filled with disbelief.

"You're great, Oliver, but I just don't love you. And if I'm going to move across the globe it needs to be for a better reason than that my mother wants me to. Earlier this week I was seconds away from death, and that made me realize how short life is. I can't spend my life with someone that I'm not head over heels in love with. My nephew is a newborn, I can't move to France and miss every milestone in his life. My life is here in Illéa, I can't give all of it up and I shouldn't have to. I deserve better than that, and so do you. You deserve someone who can love you with their whole heart, and that's not me. I'm sorry."

Oliver was still silent but finally he asked, "Is there. . . someone else? Someone you want to be with? Is that why you're doing this?"

At least Nat could be honest when she said, "There is no one else. This decision is one hundred percent mine. I'm only eighteen and I'm not ready to give up everything I've ever known. I want to stay here with my family. This is where I'm meant to be right now. Maybe someday I'll be ready for more, but for now this is what I want. I hope you can understand that."

Oliver sighed loudly, "I can't say that I'm not disappointed, but as long as you're happy. We were kind of rushed into this, weren't we?"

"Yeah, we were," Natalie laughed, "but at least when you tell your parents we're not getting married they can't blame you. My mom just might kill me."

"Nah, she's a grandmother now, tell her while she's still in a good mood."

"Thanks, you're probably right. I guess I'd better go then."

"Alright, Natalie, good luck to you."

"You too," Natalie hung up the phone and sat back in her chair.

The conversation had gone much better than she'd envisioned and now there was nothing to stop the smile on her face. She was _free_. Now there was nothing anyone could do to stop her from living whatever life she wanted. The only thing left was to tell her mother and face the consequences, but after the day she'd had even that didn't seem nearly as impossible as she'd once thought.

 **...**

The Clermont sun was setting, lighting up the horizon behind where Aria and Logan were walking. Aria tried to catch the last rays of sun on her back before they disappeared.

"When we settle down, it should be somewhere near a beach. After these last few months I don't think I could live somewhere far away from the ocean."

"Are you finally ready to settle down?" Logan asked, swinging their entwined hands as they meandered down the boardwalk.

"I don't know. Right now we're just living in the moment and I love it. I've never been happier. But eventually, I think it'd be nice to buy a house, get real jobs, you know have actual lives."

Logan turned to his wife, "We have lives."

"You know what I mean. Right now we have to keep moving and we can't settle down. Not until Brandon has gotten married and the world forgets I was ever a part of the Selection."

"What if they don't forget?"

"They will. Sometimes even I forget, and I was at the palace."

"How could you forget? If it wasn't for the Selection you never would have met me, and then where would you be?"

"I honestly don't know," Aria said with a smile, unable to picture her life without Logan.

They'd only been married a few months but it felt like they'd never been apart. The day after Logan proposed they'd gone to the Province Service Office and signed the documents officially making them husband and wife. It wasn't the big wedding Aria had always dreamed of but the simplicity of it was even better.

"We will have to figure something out soon," Logan told her, "I know we can't settle down yet but the money from my uncle is almost gone. We'll need to find some way to get money soon. It'll be hard though since we can't get jobs yet."

"Yeah," Aria agreed, "how much do we have left? Enough to get to one more province or should we stay here?"

"It all depends on how we spend it, we just need to figure it out soon."

"Okay, we will."

They walked a bit farther in silence, passing several bars and restaurants. If Logan hadn't just explained their budget Aria would have suggested stopping for dinner, but since they were tight on cash she kept her mouth shut.

One bar seemed particularly rough, letting out several intoxicated men before Aria and Logan got to it.

Logan released her hand and put his arm around her shoulder, drawing her closer as they approached.

When they were on the sidewalk directly outside the bar a group of three men stumbled out. Aria turned her head to look at them and the man in front noticed. He caught her eye and looked her up and down appreciatively. Logan noticed and tightened his arm.

"Come on, Aria, let's keep walking."

But Aria's feet had stopped. One of the drunk men approached her, thinking she was looking at him, but she pushed past him and into the bar. Logan ran to catch up.

"Aria, what are you doing?"

Her face had drained of color, "The T.V. Look at it."

On the screen was a girl who was the spitting image of Aria. She was talking to a news reporter but the sound was muted. She looked like she was in distress and she gestured with her hands.

"Turn the sound on," Aria demanded to the bartender.

"What?"

"I need to hear this story, turn the sound on!"

"Is that _Kadence_?" Logan asked incredulously, "What is she _doing_?"

Kadence's appearance had changed a bit since she'd left the Selection. Her hair no longer had well maintained highlights and instead was all one shade, similar to Aria's. She also let her hair get longer, another marked difference from her sister. Aria's hair was short with bangs to hide her face.

"I don't know," Aria answered, "but it's not good."

By the time the bartender had found the remote and switched the volume on the story had changed.

"No," Aria groaned, "I needed to hear that."

The bartender laughed, "You mean you haven't seen that story yet? It's been all over for the last two days, you'd have to live under a rock to not know about it."

"You know what it is? Can you tell me?" Aria asked, almost desperately.

"Sure. It's one of those Selected girls who got eliminated. A few days ago she started talking about this other girl who's apparently missing. She was a Selected too and hasn't been heard from since she was eliminated. The girl on T.V. is freaking out about it and trying to find her, thinks something bad has happened, like maybe the girl has been killed. There's a big reward for whoever can help find the missing girl. If you ask me that girl probably just wants a break for a little bit, away from the spotlight, but I don't think she's going to get it."

"I guess not," Aria mumbled, then asked, "did they say who she's looking for? Or show a picture?"

"I'd imagine so, but I couldn't tell you who it is. Do I really look the kind who cares about all that Selection stuff? The only reason I knew that news story is because it's been going non-stop for the past two days."

"Thank you," Aria said, grabbing Logan's hand and pulling him from the bar before anyone could recognize her face from the news reports.

Once they were outside Aria was thankful for the cover of darkness.

"This is bad," she said, "I promised Brandon we would disappear and now he has to see my face all over the news. Kadence has to stop. If she would wait until the Selection is over then it won't matter. Once Brandon is married we can stop hiding because everyone will be focused on his wife and not the eliminated girls. We just need to get her to stop."

"What do you want to do?"

Aria sighed, "I don't know. She's _so_ persistent. Even if I called her I doubt it would stop her. She'll be worried until she sees me and knows that I'm okay."

"You're probably right," Logan agreed, "but we don't have enough money to get to Fennley, it's on the other side of the country."

"Could we get to Waverly? Is there enough for a boat ride or plane tickets to get up there?"

"Maybe, if we're really careful with our budget. But even if we get to Waverly we're still far away from Fennley."

"My mom lives in Waverly. If we can get there I'll have access to all of my money from the Selection and that will be more than enough to get us to Fennley so that we can talk some sense into Kadence"

"We'd better get going then. You know she's not going to stop searching until she sees you."

"You're right," Aria told him, "let's get to the airport, we need to be on the first flight to Waverly. It's time for me to find my sister."

 **...**

 **Thank you all for reading and don't forget to review!**

 **~Jen**


	58. If I Were A Princess

**Thanks to my great reviewers:** hopewantsaletter, alexiaroosenhaan, Miss Kaydence, XOStarbrightXO **, and** LeaGirlWriter22 **. This chapter is the philanthropy projects from the Elite, I hope you like it.**

 **...**

The lights in the Report studio seemed even brighter than usual as Sera walked in the night of the philanthropy presentations. The room also felt warmer, Sera could already feel her face starting to turn red and the cameras weren't even on yet. Her palms were sweaty from her nerves. Tonight was one of the biggest nights of the Selection. If it went well then her project had the potential to become reality and it could help thousands of people. Sera had never felt more pressure in her entire life. Tonight just had to be perfect. Sera's maids had ensured that she looked great in a floor length cream dress with a halter top and red flower embellishments on it. The bottom part of the dress was sheer, allowing a glimpse of Sera's long legs.

Sera caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror backstage and felt reassured. Her appearance had always been one of the only things she could control in her life and she was glad that tonight was no exception. Her makeup was still perfect and not a hair was out of place. Her nerves didn't show on the outside, she looked calm and collected, which helped her to feel less anxious.

After one final glance in the mirror, Sera made her way onto the stage where her fellow Elite were already waiting. All of the girls had note cards in their hands and most of them were still going over last minute details for their presentations. Cosmina had a folder full of documents that would be put on display for her presentation and Amara was talking with one of the cameramen. Sera remembered the redhead mentioning pictures that she needed to display for her presentation and assumed that's what Amara was talking about.

Sera took a seat next to London and smiled at her friend. London looked gorgeous in her simple dress. It was lavender fabric with lace on top and a thigh high slit. The dress was sleeveless with a halter top neckline and London accessorized with a few silver bracelets. London looked more nervous than Sera had ever seen her. Normally London was the most collected on camera, but tonight she looked a bit frazzled and Sera realized just how much London wanted her project to succeed. Sera knew London's project was extremely important to her, she'd kept it secret from the other girls for weeks.

"You're going to do great," Sera whispered.

London forced out a smile, "Thanks, you too."

Juliet looked at Sera from London's other side and gave her a reassuring smile. The redhead's blush colored dress clashed spectacularly with her hair and the gold embellishments on the bodice drew attention to Juliet's gold statement necklace.

Sera smiled back brightly at Juliet and turned to watch Amara rejoin the other Elite. She looked pretty in a light tan dress with silver and turquoise embellishments on it and her hair was pulled up in an intricate updo that drew attention to her freckly face.

Once all the girls were seated, Amelia came over to them.

"Alright, ladies, I know all of you have worked very hard on these presentations and I'm sure you will all do splendidly. I know you're probably nervous but I have faith in each of you. You're well prepared and I can't wait to see what ideas you've all come up with. Now, the majority of the Report this week will be focused on you. The only announcement will be the birth of the new heir and an assurance of his health as well as Princess Serenity's since she is not in attendance tonight. The rest of the show will be focused on you girls with some brief reminders and information from the king at the end. You'll be presenting your projects in a predetermined order. Lady London will be first, followed by Lady Juliet and Lady Amaretta. Then we will have a commercial break and Ladies Cosmina and Seraphina will finish up the show. Any questions?"

All of the girls shook their heads and Amelia look satisfied as she left.

"One minute," someone called and a countdown began as everyone tried to get in their places.

Sera looked over at the royals and Brandon caught her eye and smiled. Sera grinned back and turned her gaze to the rest of the Selected. Cosmina looked nervous. She was fidgeting with the sheer sleeves of her dress. They hung behind her to the floor, almost like a cape. They matched the rest of her dress, starting at a silvery white up top and changing into a deep blue for the bottom half. Cosmina continued fidgeting until the lights on the cameras turned red and began recording, once that happened all of the girls stilled.

David Fadaye appeared on the stage, greeting the live audience as well as viewers around the country. The cameras panned over the royals and the Elite before focusing on David again.

"Now I'm sure you've all noticed the absence of Princess Serenity tonight, but rest assured she is fine. She is currently recovering from giving birth to the new heir. His Royal Highness Prince Christopher Matthew Schreave was born two days ago on February 20th at 5:26 in the afternoon. Both the princess and her child are doing well and Princess Serenity is expected to be back on the Report next Friday."

The applause following his statement was deafening and it took David a few minutes to get the crowd back under control. Once he had everyone's attention he turned to the Elite, introducing their philanthropy projects.

"Tonight we have some very special presentations from the five ladies left in the Selection, and first up is Lady London."

Everyone, including the other Elite, applauded as London made he way to center stage. Her cue cards were clutched tightly in her hand but other than that she appeared very calm.

"Good evening," she began, "when I was presented with this task it didn't take me long to figure out what I wanted to do. My project is something that is very dear to my heart and something I have struggled with personally." London paused a minute to let her words sink in before she continued, "I know many of you might find it hard to believe that I had struggles since I grew up as a Two. I never struggled with hunger or not having electricity, but life wasn't easy for me."

She continued to explain, "My home was never the sanctuary it should have been. My parents fought all the time, even after they were divorced, and I was always caught in the middle. When I was fifteen I became legally emancipated. This was both the best and worst decision I could have made. I no longer had to be around my parents or be manipulated by them, but I was completely alone. None of my friends understood what I was going through and I didn't know what to do.

"I didn't understand how to find a place to live, how to pay bills or manage money, and I had never been by myself before. It was intimidating, but eventually I figured it out. However, those first few years were the hardest of my life. I wish I could have had just one person who understood or was willing to help me, but instead I had to learn on my own, and I don't want any other teens to have to go through that. If I become the princess my project would be to set up group homes in cities all over the country. These homes would be safe areas for any teen who wanted to come to escape abusive or dangerous homes. Teens could stay as long as they needed and they would be able to create friendships with others who understand what they're going through. Food, water, and other necessities would be provided to the teens there and when they are ready to leave someone will be able to help them make the transition to living by themselves.

"Teens all over the country would benefit from these homes and that's why they're so important, because everyone needs a place where they can feel safe."

London finished her presentation and beamed, happy with the job she'd done. As everyone clapped she made her way back to her seat and Juliet took her place on stage.

Juliet nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before she started talking.

"I've always loved nature. Growing up I spent most of my childhood outdoors running around with my siblings. I was blessed to grow up in an area where being outside was a possibility. Hansport is one of the most environmentally friendly provinces in Illéa and if it wasn't for that I wouldn't be the person I am today. Unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky as me. Air and water pollution are big problems for millions of citizens throughout Illéa. People wake up not knowing if they will be able to breathe when they step out their front door. Illnesses caused by pollution are killing thousands of people every year, and if we could stop the pollution then these diseases wouldn't be a problem. Other people do not have access to fresh water, something that is vital for everyone. Acid rain is also destroying the environment and buildings of our country because we haven't put a stop to the dangerous fuels and emissions that are being used."

Juliet took a breath and adjusted her hair again before continuing, "If I were to become princess, I would use my own salary as well as donations to help clean up the pollution in our nation. I would also work to make sure more regulations were put into place that ensured the environment would not deteriorate anymore. Pollution is a big problem that most people overlook, but it is time for it to be addressed, because Illéa is our country and it is up to us to keep it beautiful."

Juliet made her way back to the other girls and let out a sigh of relief that she hadn't messed up. She smiled at her friends and was relieved when they grinned back.

From the side of the stage David announced the next girl, "Lady Amaretta Foster."

Amara walked to the center of the stage and began talking, "I'm sure a lot of you have probably figured out what my project will be about. It's no secret that I am a foster child, and even people who aren't involved in the foster program know that it needs work."

Amara gestured to a cameraman and suddenly the screens were filled with pictures that Amara had compiled. One of them showed a bedroom where there were far too many foster kids. Some of them had sleeping bags set up on the floor because there weren't enough beds. Another one showed what looked like a recreation area with a small coffee table stacked with three board games and a pitiful book shelf in the corner. The dining area was big enough for all the children there but they didn't have enough food so the portions were extremely small and none of the children would feel full.

More pictures continued in a slideshow and Amara talked while they were showing.

"As you can see, there are not nearly enough workers for the number of kids. They really try their best, but there is no way for them to be able to take care of all the children. The buildings themselves are also much too small and some of them are almost falling apart. They are not safe places for children to grow up in. I lived in orphanages all over the country and I can tell you that almost all of them are like this. They are not places where anyone should have to live."

The slideshow of pictures finished and the cameras cut back Amara's face.

"Not only do these children have to live under horrible conditions while at the orphanages, but sometimes they deal with conditions even worse in their foster homes. They are so desperate to get kids into foster homes that they don't ensure the children's safety once they are placed in those homes. When I was three years old I was in a home where I was verbally and physically abused. I was beat at least once a week and it took almost a year for social services to discover it and remove me from that house. I can't even imagine how many other children are going through the same experiences I did or how long they've been burdened with that.

"There need to be more checks on who can become a foster family. They need to go through background checks and home studies before they are given a child and the foster children need to be checked on by social services more than once a year. The entire foster system needs to be remodeled and if I were to become princess that is what my focus would be."

As Amara returned to her seat the cameras all turned off for the commercial break.

"I can't believe I have to go next," Cosmina moaned, "you three did so good, how can I follow that?"

"You'll do great, Mina," Amara assured her, "I was so nervous, but I think I did alright, you'll do better than me."

"No, Mara, you were great," Sera told her, "all of you were."

"Thanks," London grinned.

"I'm going to go set up for my presentation," Cosmina said, hurrying to the table that had been brought on stage for her presentation.

Cosmina pulled out her folder and began setting out all of the documents she'd compiled. Her visas, Romanian birth certificate, Illéan passport, and all of the documents she'd needed when she'd changed her citizenship from Roamnian to Illéan. By the time the commercial break was done Cosmina had just finished setting up and was ready to start her presentation.

"Good evening, Illéa. Coming up with an idea for this project was a bit harder than I thought it would be. I didn't grow up in this country which made it harder to understand some of the struggles it's going through. I tried to think of something personal to use for this project but I kept coming up empty. It was only after I turned to my family for help that I was able to come up with something meaningful to me that would also benefit the citizens of Illéa."

Cosmina paused and took a deep breath, changing topics, "I am not a native citizen of Illéa. My family moved here when I was 15, and because I was still a child I was granted dual citizenship along with my two youngest brothers, however on my eighteenth birthday I chose my Illéan citizenship over my Romanian one. My other brothers and my parents all had to go into the waiting period to become citizens when we moved here. They have to live in Illéa for ten years before they can file for citizenship and even then they have to take citizenship tests as well as be approved for it. The process for immigrating to Illéa is extremely complicated and this stops many people from attempting to immigrate. We are losing out on many bright minds and talents because they are too scared to start the immigration process.

"Another factor that often scares away potential immigrants is the unfamiliar and confusing caste system. When I first moved here it took me months to understand that I was a "Two" and what that meant. Many other immigrants face that same problem. My project not only revamps the process of immigration but also sets up the new immigrants with help adjusting to the caste system and finding a job that uses their talents and still fits within the system that is in place.

"Immigrating to a new country is a life changing experience but it doesn't have to be terrifying. My project would ensure that anyone who moves to Illéa would have the opportunity to become something great."

The audience burst into applause at the end of Cosmina's presentation and Cosmina couldn't keep the smile off her face as she went back to her seat.

Sera stood up, her hands shaking as she walked to the middle of the stage. She clutched her notecards tightly but didn't look down as she started to speak.

"Hello, Illéa. My name is Seraphina Casteel, and like many of you I come from a low caste. Until a few months ago I was a Seven. I know the hardships you face and I faced them too. I grew up never being able to express myself, because writing was for Threes not Sevens. I had friends who were unable to pursue art as a hobby, because they weren't Fives. I'm sure most of you have experienced what I'm talking about. There is so much that is limited for us, but hobbies shouldn't be. Anyone should be able to pursue something just for fun without wanting to make a career out of it. If I were given the opportunity to become princess I would start clubs where anyone could pursue any hobby they want. Kids could come after school just to play sports, even if there's no way they'll become professional athletes. Others could discover art or learn how to play an instrument even if they aren't Fives. Everyone should have the opportunity to discover something they love to do. These clubs would be open to everyone no matter the caste you come from. Snacks and care would be provided so that children from lower income homes could attend without their parents or siblings having to miss a day of work to watch them. Places like these would benefit everyone and would shape future generations to be more creative and qualified."

When Sera finished she joined the other girls and let David wrap up the show. Sera was so relieved that none of them had messed up their presentations that she missed most of David's announcements. It was only when he mentioned an event for the Elite that she started listening again.

"Next week is one of the long held traditions of the Selection, the Convicting. It's taking place next Saturday and will be broadcast live so that anyone can watch. Other than that, don't forget to tune in next week for another episode of the Illéa Capital Report."

Sera had forgotten the Convicting was next week and the thought of doing another live, televised project made her stomach twist. She pushed those thoughts out of her mind and instead focused on how she hadn't messed up her philanthropy presentation.

As soon as the cameras were turned off Sera gathered her friends in a hug, all of them glad the night had gone well.

Sera vowed to only think of good things the rest of the week to keep her mind off the Convicting, so when Brandon approached her and asked to escort her to her room it wasn't hard to stay positive.


	59. Say You'll Remember Me

**Hey guys! After this there's officially only five chapters left in this story, including the epilogue! I find that so crazy but thanks for sticking with me through this whole journey. Special thanks to** Miss Kaydence **,** alexiaroosenhaan **,** XOStarbrightXO **, and** Cbear88 **for reviewing.**

 **...**

Juliet paced her room, waiting. Everything she owned had been packed into a small suitcase that now sat on her bed. Her maids had also given her some of her favorite dresses to take home with her, but Juliet couldn't imagine where she would ever wear them at.

She was supposed to leave within the next few minutes, but she was waiting for him to show up. She couldn't just leave without saying goodbye.

A couple minutes later a knock sounded on her door. Juliet threw it open and Ryan froze at the look on her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm leaving," she whispered.

" _What?_ Why? You're joking, right?" He looked at her earnestly,waiting for her to contradict him.

She shook her head, "Brandon was just here. He eliminated me, I have to go back to Hansport."

"No, Jules you can't leave. I _need_ you here. What am I supposed to do without you?"

Juliet smiled sadly, "You'll be fine. You survived without me for most of your life."

"That was before. Since I've met you everything's changed. _You_ changed it. You make me a better person, I can't go back to who I was before I met you."

"You won't, Ryan. I know you won't. Just promise you'll remember me, okay? You're going to do great things, and you don't need me for that."

"But I _want_ you here, can't you see that? I love you, Juliet, and I want you to stay here. Please don't leave." he said the last part in a whisper, begging her.

Juliet smiled, "I love you too. I have for a while now, I was just scared to admit it."

"If you love me then don't leave. Let me talk to Brandon, I know he'll let you stay."

Juliet shook her head, "It's not about Brandon. I know you're right, he'd let me stay, but what would people say? They'd know we were together during his Selection. You're already the people's least favorite, we can't give them another reason to dislike you."

"I don't care what they think, I never have. I just want you to stay here," he pleaded.

"Ryan, I can't. I need to go home, at least at first. The people can't suspect anything."

"Please don't leave me, Jules."

"I'll come back, Ryan, I promise. I'll always come back because I love you. And once I come back I can stay because the Selection will be over."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Brandon has to end the Selection, and I'm assuming I'll be invited to the wedding, so when I come for that enough time will have passed that it would be appropriate for us to be together."

"Or you could just not leave."

Juliet smiled sadly, "I have to leave, I just wanted to tell you goodbye before I did."

"This isn't goodbye, Juliet. I'll see you again."

He stepped closer and pulled her to him, kissing her gently. Juliet kissed him back and knew that he was right. This wasn't goodbye for them, this was only the beginning.

 **...**

The four remaining members of the Elite gathered in the entrance hall the night after their philanthropy presentations. They'd all been informed of Juliet's elimination and had told her goodbye before she left that morning. Shortly after that they'd all received notes from Brandon telling them to meet him in the entrance hall after dinner for another group date.

All the girls were dressed fairly casual and like their last group date, none of them knew where they were going.

Brandon smiled at them as he entered the room.

"Are you going to tell us where we're going this time?" London burst out.

Brandon smiled again, "We're going to an amusement park."

"What?!" Cosmina squealed, sounding delighted.

Sera and Amara both looked ecstatic, especially since they'd never been to one before.

"It'll be a little different than last time," Brandon explained, "since there's just five of us it didn't seem fair to take the whole park for the night, so there will be other people there. Just a few upper class who bought expensive tickets from the park, mainly Twos who want to avoid the lines are there when the park is open. If any of them bother you, feel free to let me know. There's also going to be cameras there to document everything. It was how I could convince my parents to let me take you somewhere with so little security."

Brandon seemed to think they'd be disappointed about the cameras so Sera smiled brightly and said, "I'm just excited to go. This is going to be so fun."

The others all echoed Sera's words and a few minutes later they were in an armored car driving down the road. The drive seemed to last forever, all of the girls were aching to get there but finally they parked and were allowed to leave the car.

The sun was just setting as they got out of the car and the carnival was lit up for the night. Flashing lights met the girl's eyes everywhere they looked. Against the horizon a tall Ferris wheel was visible, slowly revolving.

"This is so cool," Amara breathed, looking with awe at the roller coasters and carnival games surrounding her.

"Do you want to ride the Ferris wheel with me?" Brandon asked, extending his hand.

Amara nodded and took it, still looking with wonder at everything around her. The two of them began making their way to the other side of the park, a camera following close behind them.

The three other girls all took off into the park as well, two cameras trailing them.

Cosmina stopped inside at one of the game booths.

"Do you want to play?" Sera asked.

"Yeah, why not?"

The three girls lined up and all stood behind the plastic guns. When it was time they all took aim, seeing who could shoot the most targets in the time limit. London won and she smiled as the man behind the counter handed her a stuffed animal as a prize.

When the three girls turned around London gasped, her prize forgotten.

" _Cotton candy_!" she exclaimed, "I haven't had that in years."

She pulled her friends over to the booth to order some.

"What is it?" Cosmina asked when London handed her the sticky pink treat.

"You've never had cotton candy before?" London asked, her eyes wide.

"Me either," Sera added, "we could never afford it growing up, but I've always wanted to try it."

"It's only one of the best things ever," London promised them, "you're going to love it."

London began devouring her candy while Sera and Cosmina were a bit more cautious.

Sera enjoyed hers while they decided what roller coaster to ride but after one bite Cosmina was done.

"It tastes like fur," she wrinkled her nose and handed the candy to London who made no objection to the second treat.

When the girls were in line for the tallest roller coaster in the park Brandon and Amara caught up to them. All five of them screamed at every drop but were laughing by the end of the ride.

Brandon pulled Seraphina away from the others after the ride. As the other girls walked over to the bumper cars Amara filled them in on what had happened with Brandon.

"He told me he's taking all of us on the Ferris wheel before the night's over. The view was so pretty and it would have been really romantic except for the cameras there. They followed us everywhere and on the Ferris wheel it felt more like an interview than a date."

If they ignored the fact that their date was going to be analyzed by every gossip show host as well as aired on the Report for the entire country to see, the girls were able to enjoy their evening immensely.

They were always a spectacle, with everyone else in the park either avoiding them or trying to get the attention of the cameras that were following the Elite. Many of the other people at the park openly stared at the girls, whenever this happened London shouted, "Take a picture, it'll last longer," then proceeded to take selfies with whoever had been watching them.

One group of teens was so excited to see London. They talked with her for ten minutes after she'd taken pictures with them. One girl told London how much her philanthropy project had helped her.

"I didn't know there was a way to escape," she explained, "I've been counting down until my eighteenth birthday so that I can move out, but now I'm going to look into legally emancipating myself. You've changed my life."

London nearly burst into tears at the girl's story.

"I wish you the best of luck," London told her, "that's a hard journey to make on your own, I would know. Don't be scared to ask for help. The people who care about you want to help so let them. That's one mistake I made. I tried to do everything on my own but I had all my friends who would have loved to have helped me. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask me, I don't want you to have to go through all the things I did." London gave the girl her phone number and assured her that she would do whatever she could to help her out if she needed it.

The teen smiled at London, "You'd make an amazing princess. I hope Prince Brandon chooses you."

"Thank you," London breathed, unable to convey how touched she was by those words.

The Elite continued walking through the park, trying every type of junk food and playing whatever games their hearts' desired. Amara begged her friends to go on the upside down roller coaster with her. Cosmina opted out so that she could finish her funnel cake but she sat on a bench and watched her two friends climb up to the start of the ride.

She was sitting there talking with a young guy when Brandon found her. She laughed at something he said before she turned and caught sight of the prince.

"Brandon," she called, "come here. This is Will. He immigrated from England last year. He saw my presentation a few nights ago. We were talking about how to make it easier for immigrants to integrate into the Illéan culture."

Will reached out a hand but Brandon ignored it and instead sat down and put an arm around Cosmina.

Will started to speak and Brandon was not impressed by the posh British accent he had, "I was so excited when I saw Cosmina here. She's absolutely _brilliant_. Her proposal the other night, if implemented, would take Illéa in a direction that it hasn't been in centuries. It would make giant steps into helping with acceptance and equality all over the world. It's an unbelievable idea and I'm so lucky I got to meet the beautiful girl behind it."

Cosmina looked smitten at his words, "It wasn't that great."

"Don't sell yourself short, Cosmina it truly was inspired." Will smiled at her.

Brandon cleared his throat and Will looked at him, "I think it's time that _Lady_ Cosmina and I were going," he put extra emphasis on Cosmina's title since Will had forgotten to use it.

"It was nice meeting both of you," Will smiled at Cosmina again and left.

"He was nice," Cosmina said.

Brandon snorted, "You really think so? He seemed fake."

"What? He had some great ideas about my immigrant project. He's really smart."

"He wasn't that smart," Brandon grumbled.

"Wait," Cosmina laughed, "are you jealous right now?"

"I am the prince of Illéa, I don't need to be jealous of some half-witted British show off."

Cosmina smiled, "You're totally jealous."

"Mina, I'm not jealous, I-"

"Don't worry," Cosmina cut him off, "I think it's cute."

Before Brandon could respond the other girls joined them, finished with the ride. The five of them all went on a few rides before Brandon pulled Cosmina away. When the two of them rejoined the group the night was almost over.

London and Sera had gotten matching henna tattoos and Amara had tried all the new foods her stomach could take. When Brandon pulled London away she was almost ready for the night to end so that she could go back to the palace and sleep; however, once she and Brandon were alone London felt wide awake.

They walked through the park hand in hand and enjoying all the bright lights and games. London drug Brandon into a photo booth where they made silly faces and he kissed her on the cheek for the last picture.

"Did you have fun tonight?" Brandon asked as they walked over to the Ferris wheel.

"It was spectacular," London told him, "You always know just what will make me happy."

Brandon almost pointed out that it was a group date, not just for London, but he remembered Zinnia and how upset she had gotten when he talked about the other girls so he refrained from saying so.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

The Ferris wheel stopped revolving and it was Brandon and London's turn to get in a cart. London turned and blew a kiss to the three cameras that had followed them through the park. The cameramen laughed and turned around except for one who followed London and Brandon onto the Ferris wheel.

The carts were big enough for four people so London and Brandon sat next to each other while the cameraman sat across from them. It had been easy to ignore him as they walked through the park, but in the cramped space London was hyper aware that everything she did was being recorded.

The Ferris wheel started moving and London watched as everything on the ground began to shrink as they rose.

"Everything looks so pretty all lit up," London said.

"Yeah, it does. You know, this is the first time I've been to an amusement park at night. Or with other people here. Normally it's too big of a security risk so my family had to come during the day with whole teams of security."

"I can't even imagine that. So you had the whole park to yourselves?" London sounded incredulous.

"Well some of the guards were able to bring their families in for the day, but it was mainly just us. It wasn't that great though. I definitely prefer tonight, it makes me feel more normal."

London smiled, "Normal is overrated."

Brandon grinned and put his arm around her. London leaned her head against his shoulder contentedly. Neither of them said anything, they were so content to just be with each other.

However, the cameraman wasn't satisfied.

"If you're not gonna talk could you at least do something," he drawled, "how about you give her a kiss?" he told Brandon.

The prince's ears turned bright red.

"Uh, I don't know about that. I, um, I don't think London wants our private moments broadcast to the entire country."

London smiled at the camera, "It's ok, I don't mind."

She turned to Brandon and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling herself closer until she captured his lips with her own.

For a minute London thought she'd been too forward and that Brandon was upset, but a few seconds after she'd kissed him his hands came up. One of them cupped her cheek while the other was buried in her hair. He kissed her back and London knew that he didn't mind her being forward one bit.

As they kissed, the world seemed to melt away. London forgot about the cameras recording them, she forgot that there were three other girls competing for Brandon, she forgot everything.

In that moment it was just the two of them, and that was all London needed.

 **…**

Aria stood outside her childhood home, trying to work up the courage to approach the door. She didn't know what she was afraid of, her mother was sure to welcome her home with open arms. Aria just didn't want her mother to view her as a failure.

When she'd left it had been as a Lady of the Selection, now she was returning banished and desperate for money. She was in hiding, constantly hoping that nobody would recognize her. On the plane over she'd been recognized by three people, all of whom she'd had to beg not to call the authorities and report that they'd found her. She'd worn one of Logan's hoodies all the time after that, keeping the hood up in an attempt to hide her face. As she looked at her house she pulled the hood down for the first time that day.

Her stomach had been twisted into knots all day long. She absentmindedly rubbed it, trying to make it feel better.

"Are you ready?" Logan asked her.

Aria shook her head. She couldn't bear asking her mother for money and then just disappearing again. Plus she'd have to face her brothers and stepsister, and Aria knew that if she saw them it would be impossible for her to leave again. She had missed her family terribly in the almost nine months that she's been away.

None of her family knew about Logan either. Aria didn't know how she could explain to them that a boy she'd only known for a few months could be so special to her. She couldn't explain how she was only eighteen, and married, and-

"Ahhh, I can't do it," she exclaimed to her husband as she turned around and marched away from the house.

"Come on, Aria, last night you couldn't wait to see them." Logan stepped in front of her and blocked her path, "What changed?"

"I just realized what a bad idea this is, alright?" she tried to push past him but he wouldn't move.

"What else can we do, Aria? We don't have any money, there's nowhere for us to go, your face is all over the news, and people all over the country are searching for you. I know you're scared, but she's your _mother_ , Aria, she's not going to kick you out, she'll be thrilled to see you."

Aria sighed, "I know you're right, I just wish it was over with."

"If you stop stalling, then it will be. Now come on," he grabbed her hand and half dragged her to the front door.

Aria waited one more minute before raising her fist and knocking timidly on the door.

A few seconds passed and there was no answer.

"They're not home, oh well. At least we tried," Aria turned and tried to get back to the road but stopped when Logan gave her a skeptical look.

After another ten seconds the door swung open and Aria gasped.

" _Kadence_?!" she practically screamed, "What are you doing here?"

"Aria!" Kadence shouted, "I've been so worried about you, how did you find me?"

Both girls began talking and neither could understand each other.

"I hate to interrupt," Logan said loudly, "but it might be better if we go inside."

The girls agreed and as they walked to the living room Kadence explained how she'd called Stephanie out of concern for Aria and that she'd been living there in Waverly while the two of them searched for her.

Kadence finished her story and smiled, "Enough about me, I want to know what you two have been doing. And why you decided to come back now."

Aria looked nervously at Logan but he nodded encouragingly.

"Actually the reason I left was because Brandon found out that Logan and I had been sneaking around while I was still in the Selection, but you probably knew that already."

Kadence nodded, "Yeah, they kept me locked up in my room for a while because they thought it was me, but they never said why they let me go."

"That's because I told Brandon that you were innocent. He punished me instead. Logan and I were banished, that's actually why we came to find you. We needed you to stop looking for me."

She explained the deal they'd struck with Brandon and everything they'd been doing for the past few months.

"But if you guys ran out of money than what are you going to do?" Kadence wondered.

"We're not sure yet, but we'll figure it out. And we're not totally broke, I'm going to ask my mom for my Selection money. Where is she anyway?"

"I'm the only one here right now. Your mother and Tom took the boys to a soccer game and Sydney is out with her boyfriend. You _have_ to stay until they get back, I know they'd love to see you."

"I don't know-"

"Yeah!" Kadence exclaimed, "That would be perfect. You need somewhere to lie low for a while and all of us here have missed you like crazy. You should stay here."

"What?"

"Well you said you only need to stay in hiding until the Selection is over and the wedding happens, right?" Kadence explained, "So that should be in just a few weeks. Live here until that happens, you know you'll be safe and everyone will be happy you're back."

Aria chewed her lip nervously before asking, "Do you really think my mom would be okay with that since I've been gone for so long?"

"Aria, she's missed you _so_ much, she would love to have you back. And besides, it's just for a few weeks and then you and Logan will be able to find a place of your own. I still can't believe you're married," she added as an afterthought.

Aria smiled and looked down at the plain gold band on her finger; some days she couldn't believe it either.

"We're not just married," she said softly, "there's more."

"What?"

"I'm also pregnant," Aria whispered, nervous of her sister's reaction.

"What?" Kadence screeched, "Why didn't you tell me that as soon as you walked in? Now you _have_ to stay. How far along are you?"

Aria smiled, "Just a few weeks, but I was wondering," she trailed off and looked at her husband. They hadn't discussed this, but Aria didn't think he would mind and she knew it was the right thing, "We were hoping that you would be the godmother."

Kadence's eyes went wide, " _Me_?"

"I can't think of anyone better, and once she's born she'll need her Aunt Kadence."

"Or he," Logan spoke up, "it could be a he. We don't know yet."

Aria put a hand on her stomach, "Trust me, it's a she, I can feel it. Call it mother's intuition."

Logan looked skeptical, "We'll see."

Aria rolled her eyes, "It's a girl and her name is Melody, we've been over this already."

"Melody?" Kadence asked.

"Yeah," Aria smiled, "I figured musical names worked out well for us. Kadence, Aria, and Melody go nicely together."

"Or Westley. I've always thought that was a good name," Logan told her, "it's timeless and classic."

"Logan, even if this baby is a boy, which it's not, we are _not_ naming our child Westley Wesley. It sounds ridiculous. Melody Wesley is much better." Aria turned from her husband to Kadence and from her body language it was clear the subject was nonnegotiable.

Kadence couldn't help but smile at Aria's stubbornness, "I've missed you so much."

Aria stood up and pulled Kadence into a hug, "I've missed you too."

"Please stay, Aria," Kadence whispered to her twin.

In that moment, Aria knew she didn't have a choice. They were twins, two halves of one whole. They'd spent too long apart and she couldn't be the one who kept them separated. After they'd been together, she knew that they weren't meant to be apart any more. Once Aria realized that, things seemed much simpler. They were meant to be together, that's why they'd found each other. And now she finally understood. One of them wasn't enough, it would always take two.


	60. A Gift For You

**So I know it's been literally FOREVER since I've updated (3 months to be exact) but I'm back now! The semester is almost over for me so hopefully I'll have some time to write over the break be able to update sooner. Thanks to everyone who stuck with me even though I am literally the worst and disappeared for three months** xx. Scarlett **(x2)** LeaGirlWriter22 **(x2)** Miss Kaydence, Cookiedoodles168 **and** XOStarbrightXO. **You are all so amazing, this story wouldn't be the same without you!**

 **…**

Being the crown princess was hard work, but being the mother of a newborn was even harder. Trying to do both was proving nearly impossible for Serenity.

"Shh, Chris, it's okay," she cooed, rocking her crying baby in her arms.

The infant ignored her and continued his wailing. Serenity rocked him even more, trying to shush him.

They were in the Women's Room and the Elite were currently receiving instructions on the upcoming Convicting. Serenity was still technically on maternity leave but that didn't mean her work stopped. She still had documents to read over and sign in addition to the few meetings she was still expected to attend. The princess hated keeping Christopher cooped up in her office so she'd decided to move her work into the Women's Room until her maternity leave was over. She knew that she could give Chris to his nanny, but her pride prevented it. She wanted to prove that she could work and be a mother, but so far it wasn't happening. She was too focused on Christopher to get much work done and that frustrated her, making it harder for her to calm down her baby and resulting in a cycle that was impossible to break.

When Chris's screams earned a pointed look from Amelia, Serenity stood up and left the room to avoid disturbing the Elite's lesson. As Serenity walked around the hallway, Christopher slowly calmed down. When he had stopped crying and was instead yawning Serenity brought him back into the room.

Her work was spread out in one corner of the room, taking up several tables and chairs. Her bag full of Christopher's things was on an armchair and a small carrier sat on the floor next to it, for when she needed to set Chris down so that she could work. She placed Chris in his carrier where he stared up at her happily and settled down in a chair next to him, pulling a pile of documents closer to her.

No sooner had she started to work then the Elite ended their lessons. The four girls began chatting and Serenity wanted to join them but knew she needed to finish her work. She tried for a few minutes to focus when London crossed the room to her.

"Hi, London," the blonde said.

London smiled sheepishly, "Hi, Serenity. I was wondering if I could take Chris for a few minutes. All of us want to see him."

Serenity smiled, "Of course," Chris was used to being passed around among the girls, all of them wanted to hold the infant any chance they got.

Without Christopher to distract her, Serenity was able to get most of her work done. She settled into a work zone and the rest of the room melted away. She was reading through the last document when she glanced at her watch. The meeting she was supposed to be at was starting in five minutes.

Serenity quickly threw everything back into her bag, destroying the carefully sorted piles of papers she'd made. She quickly looked around for Chris, knowing there was no way she would be able to get him upstairs to his nanny and make it to the meeting on time. Her next choice would have been to give him to Natalie or Brooklyn, but Serenity didn't know where either of them were.

She turned around, looking for her child so that she could get him taken care of before she had to go to her meeting. She spotted him across the room, in Sera's arms and looking happy.

Serenity crossed the room to where the girls were all crowded around Chris, each trying to get his attention.

Amara was the first to spot the princess, "Do you _have_ to take him?" she asked.

"Can he please stay?" London begged.

"Well. . ." Serenity thought. She wanted Christopher to be with his nanny in case he got fussy, so that the girls didn't have to deal with him, but leaving him in the Women's Room would mean she'd arrive on time to her meeting. And one of the girls would soon be Christopher's aunt, Serenity needed to be able to trust them with Christopher, "alright," she conceded, "but if he gets to be too much his nanny is on the third floor, you can take him up there."

"We can handle him," Cosmina assured her.

"Okay then, I'll see you in a few hours," Serenity was still apprehensive about leaving her baby, but as soon as she walked into the conference room she knew there were bigger things to worry about. In these meetings she couldn't be a mother, she had to be the future queen and put her people first, regardless of what it would mean for her family.

As soon as Serenity entered the room, the advisors stood. Serenity nodded to them before taking her place at the head of the table. Normally the atmosphere of these meetings was sober and serious but as Serenity looked out at the advisors today she sensed a lightness in the mood. Some of them even smiled as she caught their eye, and she was certain that had never happened before.

Serenity slowly sat down and the advisors followed suit, though they still had secretive smiles.

"I get the feeling you all know something I don't," the princess stated.

The advisor directly across from Serenity couldn't hide her smile any longer. She beamed at the princess, "The locations of the rebel bases have been confirmed. Some of our spies were able to infiltrate them and we finally got confirmation from the rebel in our custody, the one who attacked you in the hallway."

With all the things going on in Serenity's life she had almost forgotten about Bennett and the fact that he was still being interrogated for information.

"He gave us the locations?" Serenity asked, shocked.

"Yes, Your Highness. The locations he gave matched what our spies had found. He also gave us more information on the African involvement. It turns out the rebels and the Africans aren't working as closely as we assumed. There are more tensions there than they let on. We believe if we can disable the rebels it will fully discourage the Africans from attempting any sort of military action against Illéa."

"We need to strike now," Serenity said, "before they have a chance to discover what we're up to."

"I agree, Your Highness, however we can't just rush into this. We have to prepare to fight but also to have as few casualties as possible. We need to come up with the best strategy to attack and how to get our spies in there ready for us. In addition to that, it would be good if there was something else going on during the attack, something public to distract the people and the rebels."

"What do you mean?"

"We were thinking something with your family. The public always watch any event that has to do with your family. Perhaps you could do something with Prince Christopher, he has hardly been in the public eye and anything with him would surely gather a lot of attention."

Serenity felt her motherly instincts kick in, "He's hardly been in the public eye because he's only a few weeks old. I _won't_ take my son away from the palace until these rebels have been dealt with, is that understood?" her tone was icy and none of the advisors responded but she knew they'd gotten the message. "Perhaps we could do something with the Selection. The people have been following that for months and now that we're down to only four girls they're paying more attention than ever."

The advisors looked at each other and thought for a minute until one bold man spoke up, "That could work, Princess, however we would need to make sure the event got the attention of as many people as possible."

"How about the Convicting?" Serenity suggested, "There's a live audience and it will be broadcast all over the country."

"The Convicting is in a few days, there's no way we'll be ready by then if we want to be certain we can defeat the rebels."

Serenity thought for a minute, "How much time do you need?"

"At least two weeks, preferably longer."

"You have two weeks. We'll time the attacks with Prince Brandon's proposal. Almost everyone in the country will be watching to see who he chooses so the timing should be perfect," Serenity smiled, she could see all the pieces of her plan falling into place perfectly.

"How do you know the prince will be willing to go along with this and rush the end of his Selection?" a different advisor asked her.

"Leave that to me. I know Brandon will understand. This is bigger than his Selection, it's about helping the entire country. He knows what the rebels are capable of and he'll do whatever he can to help stop them. It's finally time for them to pay."

 **…**

Brandon took a deep breath, getting ready for what he was about to do. He looked down at the small box in his hand and then back at the door in front of him. He'd been procrastinating giving the girls their jewelry all day and now it was probably too late. He knew he should just come back in the morning, but it had taken him all day to work up the courage to present the ladies with their presents. Before he had a chance to second guess himself he reached out and knocked loudly on Sera's door.

Her maid opened it and curtsied when she saw who it was.

"Um, hi," Brandon could feel his face turning red but he kept talking, "Is Sera here? I'd like to see her."

The maid nodded and opened the door wider, letting him enter the room. Sera sat up on her bed and her whole face lit up when she saw Brandon in the doorway. Her maid gave one more curtsy then left without a word.

Sera gave him another breathtaking smile, "Hi."

She was still dressed from dinner though her face was free of makeup and her hair had a few strands out of place. Brandon had never seen her looking less than perfectly put together, but seeing her now made her seem more human and he liked it.

"What brings you here?" Sera wondered and Brandon realized how long he'd been just staring at her.

"Well, you know the Convicting is in just a few days," he began.

"Ugh," she groaned, flopping back down onto her bed, "don't remind me."

Brandon laughed and sat next to her on the bed, "It's tradition to give the ladies of the Elite jewelry to wear at the Convicting and I have yours," he presented the small box to her and she sat up so fast she nearly knocked Brandon off the bed.

She tore into the wrapping paper and sucked in a breath when she saw the jewels.

"These are really for me?" she whispered.

"They're yours to keep, I hope you like them."

"Like them? I _love_ them. They're gorgeous." she fingered the chain of the necklace and Brandon knew he'd made the right choice.

He'd gone with rubies for Sera since he knew she liked to wear red. He figured rubies would be her favorite. The necklace was three layers and interspersed with rubies and diamonds that started small on the ends and got larger in the center. He'd also given her matching earrings and a bracelet that looked like a vine made out of diamonds and rubies.

"I've never owned anything so nice before. _Thank you."_

She reached across the bed and pulled him into the best hug she could while they were still sitting with the box between them.

"You're more than welcome, Seraphina." He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek before standing up, "I should probably get going."

He was at the door before Sera spoke again, "You're giving jewelry to the other girls too?" it was a question but Brandon thought she already knew the answer.

"It's a tradition for the Convicting." he responded. He saw her face fall the tiniest bit, "Are you okay?"

She nodded, "Yeah, it's just sometimes I forget that I'm not the only one here. I should know that by now. Anyway, thank you for the gifts, I love them."

Brandon didn't want to leave her like that, but he didn't know what to say to make her feel better. He gave her a sad smile before he turned and left the room.

In the hallway he had to decide which girl to visit next. London's room was closer but he made his way to the other end of the hallway and knocked on Amara's door.

The redhead opened it, already in her pajamas with a robe wrapped around her.

She looked surprised to see him but her shock soon turned into a smile.

"Brandon! What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you."

"Can I come in?" he asked, still standing in the doorway.

Amara stepped back, shaking her head at herself, "Of course you can, it's technically your palace after all."

Brandon smiled as he entered the room and followed her to the sofa near her desk, "Thanks. So you weren't expecting me, but were you expecting someone else? You opened the door awfully fast."

"Well, sometimes Cosmina comes over and we talk for a while before going to bed. I thought you were her. Although she usually doesn't come this late."

"Oh," Brandon said. He knew he should have come earlier to see the girls, but he hadn't anticipated that any of them would actually be asleep or ready for bed. Plus half of him had been hoping that if he waited long enough he could wait until morning to give them their presents. Then he could have just left them notes and he wouldn't have had to face all four of them back to back, which was terrifying for the poor prince, "I can come back tomorrow if it's too late now."

Amara laughed, "Don't be silly. I love getting to see you, no matter what time it is."

Brandon felt his ears turn red but otherwise he was able to hide how much of an effect her words had on him. A few months ago hearing something like that would have sent him bolting from the room. The fact that hearing her say that made him feel appreciated rather than overwhelmed just showed how much he'd grown throughout his Selection. Amara had grown too, because up until a few weeks before she'd hidden the depths of her feelings well.

Brandon grinned, ignoring his embarrassment and held the box in his hands out to her.

"This is for you. I hope you like them."

Curiosity sparkled in Amara's eyes as she took the box from him, eagerly ripping into the wrapping. She lifted the lid and let out a gasp, dropping the box and its contents onto the sofa. The jewels fell out of the box and Brandon quickly picked them up, offering them to her.

"What is it? You hate them don't you," he spoke quickly, trying to figure out what emotion was on Amara's face, "I'll take them back and get you something else."

She shook her head, her wide eyes still staring at the jewelry in his hands.

"I don't hate them. They're gorgeous, but I can't accept these. They're too much."

Brandon let out a breath of relief as soon as she said that she didn't hate his choices, "Mara, of course you can accept them. I want you to have them."

"Oh, Brandon," she sounded close to tears, "this is the best present anyone has ever given me. Thank you!"

She leaned forward and hugged him tightly. When she let go of him, Brandon held up the necklace, "Do you want to try it on?"

She nodded eagerly and pulled her hair over her shoulder so that he could fasten the necklace around her neck. The necklace shimmered with white and yellow diamonds and had a teardrop shaped yellow diamond hanging in the middle, glimmering in the light of her room. He had also give her matching earrings and a ring that spiraled into two parts, one with a white diamond and the other with a yellow one.

She slipped the ring onto her middle finger and admired how it caught the light, "So what are these for?" she wondered.

"The Convicting," he told her, "it's tradition to give all the Elite jewelry to wear during it."

"You know the Convicting is antiquated, right?" she asked, "It's barbaric. Making us send people to prison in front of a live audience. It's not like we'd even be doing that if we became princess. That's what we have judges and magistrates for."

"I know," Brandon said, "but it's symbolic. You have to prove your loyalty to the law. The whole Selection system is all about traditions and if we start messing with it then people will question the whole process."

"But the Convicting is _wrong_."

Brandon sighed, "I know, Mar, and I'm sorry you have to do it. All of the ladies do if you want the chance to be a princess. To be with me."

"I _do_ want to be with you, Brandon, I just wish I didn't have to go through this for us to be together."

"Think about it this way, they would be going to prison either way. What difference does it make if you're the one that sends them or a judge?"

"It makes a difference to me," Amara said.

"I know." Brandon pulled her toward him and she came slowly.

He was trying to think of other ways to comfort her when she leaned up and captured his lips. With that kiss Brandon understood everything she'd been unable to say and he knew that she would do her best to get through the Convicting, because with that kiss he could tell that he was everything she wanted.

 **…**

Brandon left Amara's room and had to walk down the hallway until he found a small alcove with a sofa. He sat down to catch his breath and collect his thoughts. He was supposed to make an elimination after the Convicting, leaving him with three Elite left and just a few weeks to decide on his wife, but he had no clue on who to send home in just a few days. He knew the Convicting was supposed to play a role in his elimination, so he decided to leave it up to fate and eliminate whoever did the worst in the Convicting. Maintaining the law and putting on a calm face at all times were big parts of a princess's job and Brandon wanted to make sure that all of the girls could handle it.

He felt a little better after thinking, and now that he was going to let fate decide the next elimination it felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

He stood up from the sofa with newfound energy. London's room was next and Brandon stopped in front of her door and knocked. Her maid opened it.

"Good evening, Your Highness," she dropped into a curtsy.

"Who is it?" London called from inside the room.

"The Prince, my lady."

Brandon heard London get up and soon she appeared near the doorway, behind her maid. She was dressed for bed already and had a robe on with her hair pulled back in a simple french braid. She smiled when she saw him and gestured for him to come into the room.

Brandon stepped forward and the maid gave one last curtsy before leaving.

London smiled at him again and Brandon couldn't stop his ears from turning red.

"To what do I owe this surprise?" she asked, "Isn't it a little late for a date? I could change right now though."

"No, you look great how you are," he told her.

London gave a small laugh and rolled her eyes, "I'm sure."

"And I'm actually not here for a date," he informed her, "I have a present for you."

He held out the small box to her and her eyes widened. Brandon had decided to get her earrings, a bracelet, and a necklace. They were all made of aquamarine and diamonds, he had thought the blue color would bring out London's eyes.

London opened the box and gasped, "Brandon, they're beautiful!"

She put the box down and pulled Brandon to her, planting a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you so much, I love them."

She gingerly touched the necklace, tracing her finger over one of the teardrop shaped stones.

"I'm glad you like them," Brandon smiled, feeling more confident after seeing her reaction.

He used his newfound confidence to lean forward and give London a kiss. As soon as their lips met London wrapped her arms around him, burying her hands in his hair. Brandon responded by pulling her even closer, trying to crush every inch of space between them.

All too soon Brandon pulled away. London looked into his blue eyes, the jewelry now forgotten.

"I should go," Brandon told her.

London nodded, her face flushed, "I hope you come back though. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."

Brandon's face fell, "I know. Things have just been so crazy. How about we go out tomorrow? We can go swimming or watch a movie, whatever you want to do."

London beamed, "I'd love that."

Brandon smiled at her, "Me too."

He turned and left the room, smiling at the thought of seeing London again tomorrow.

In the hallway he turned to Cosmina's room. She was the last girl left and Brandon was tempted to just give her the jewelry in the morning, but he didn't want her to feel left out if the other girls mentioned it before he got a chance to see her.

He knocked on the door but there was no answer.

He knocked again louder.

When there was still no answer he decided he would just visit her in the morning and give her the jewelry then. He turned away from the door but hadn't made it far down the hallway when a noise from her room caused him to turn back. He was sure he'd heard wrong, but he wanted to make sure before he left.

He waited outside her room another minute until he heard the sound again. This time there was no mistaking it. It was definitely a scream.

"Cosmina!" he yelled, banging on the door, "Are you okay?"

He didn't want to just barge into her room, but when all he got in response was another scream, he threw the door open.

Her room was completely dark and Brandon was disoriented.

"Cosmina?" he called.

He glanced around the room as his eyes adjusted but he didn't see anything that would have warranted the ear-splitting shrieks he'd heard just minutes earlier.

He finally spotted her, a small shape on the bed. As he walked over to her, she began to whimper.

"Mina?" he asked tentatively.

As he got closer, he realized that she was asleep.

She continued to shake and Brandon saw tears falling down her face. He couldn't stand seeing her like that. He reached out a hand and gently shook her. When she still didn't respond, he shook her harder.

She woke with a shriek and bolted up in the bed.

"Hey, it's okay, Cosmina. It was just a dream, you're fine," he consoled her.

At first she didn't seem to register his presence, but when she finally looked at him she began brushing the tears from her face, hoping he wouldn't notice them.

He sat down on the edge of her bed and softly reached out to her, "Are you alright?"

She nodded but remained silent.

"What were you dreaming about?"

Cosmina turned her eyes to him and studied his face, "I'd rather not talk about it right now. I don't want to think about it."

"Well, where's your maid? She should be here in case you need anything after that."

Cosmina shook her head, "I send all of my maids away at night. I always have nightmares and my screaming would keep them up. They shouldn't have to suffer just because I do."

After a minute of silence Cosmina asked, "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Oh," Brandon looked down, in his concern for her his reason for being there had been pushed to the back of his mind, "I had something for you, but it doesn't matter now. I'll leave it here and you can open it in the morning. For now you should try to get some sleep."

Cosmina nodded but she looked terrified. When Brandon tried to stand up she grabbed his hand.

"Would you stay with me? Please?" she asked, "Just until I fall back asleep. I don't want to be alone right now," she added the last part in a whisper.

Brandon was so tired and he knew if he stayed he'd end up spending the whole night in her room. He didn't want any of the other girls to see him leaving her room in the morning, but when he looked at her he knew he couldn't leave her alone.

"Of course," he said with a smile.

The amount of relief on her face made Brandon certain he'd made the right decision. He stood up from her bed and shut the door then placed the box with her diamond and emerald jewelry on her desk before he walked back to her bed.

He kicked off his shoes and removed his tie and jacket before climbing onto the bed with her. He stayed on top of the blankets while she was underneath, but he was hyper-aware of every move she made.

He scooted closer to her and placed an arm around her, pulling himself closer so that there was no space between them. It didn't take long after that for Cosmina to fall back to sleep, and for the first time in months, her nightmares didn't come.

 **…**

 **I hope this chapter was worth the wait for you all. Next chapter will be the Convicting! Don't forget to leave me a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter. I'm hoping to get the next chapter done soon, but no promises because college is hard and doesn't leave me a lot of free time to write.**

 **You're all amazing and thanks for your support!**

 **Jen**


	61. Feeling Convicted

**Hey all! I didn't take three months to update this time, how about that?!**

 **Quick story, I wanted to have this chapter ready and posted on the second anniversary of** ** _It Takes Two,_** **which I thought was today. Then I went to upload this chapter and I learned that the anniversary of it was two days ago. Oops! Make sure to double check dates, folks.**

 **The point of that was that I've been working on this story for two years now! That seriously blows my mind and I know that this story would not be possible without all of you lovely readers. Seriously, without you guys this story wouldn't exist so thank you for your support! Thanks to** cbear88, XOStarbrightXO, Guest, **and** LeaGirlWriter22 **for their constant support and reviews. You are seriously incredible and I can't believe that some of you have been with me for two years now!**

 **I'll stop rambling and let you all read the chapter. This is the Convicting and I hope you all like it!**

 **…**

Brandon wasn't ready for the day he was about to have. It was barely morning but he already knew it was going to be a long, hard day. It was the Convicting and by the end of the night he would have to eliminate one girl. The Selection would be down to three and in two short weeks he would have to propose to the girl he would spend the rest of his life with. Thinking about it was too overwhelming for him.

Serenity had approached him the day before and asked for his help with her plan to stop the rebels. She made it sound so simple. All he had to do was coordinate his proposal with her attacks, that was it. However, if he wanted to help her that would mean he had to propose earlier than he'd planned, which he didn't think he'd be ready to do. But he would have to be ready, because Serenity needed his help, and there was nothing Brandon wouldn't do for his sister. Even though he dreaded her deadline, he had to meet it.

Brandon sighed as he looked in the mirror and did his tie. This was the last time four girls would be a part of the Selection, and he truly dreaded sending someone home. He cared about all of them so much.

Brandon was saved from his bleak thoughts by a knock on his door. Before he could answer, the door opened to reveal his brother.

"Ryan? What are you doing here?"

Brandon couldn't remember the last time Ryan had come over to his room unannounced like this.

Ryan looked a little uncomfortable but he entered the room and sat down on Brandon's couch anyway.

"I just know how stressed you've been about today," Ryan said, "Matthew would have known what to do, and I probably can't help you, but I just wanted to see if you needed anything."

Brandon tried to hide his shock at his brother's words. A few months ago Ryan didn't give a thought to anyone but himself, and now here he was attempting to make Brandon feel better. Brandon could hardly fathom it.

It seemed like ever since Matthew's death Ryan had been trying to fill his role as oldest sibling. But after a lifetime of experiencing his brother's devil-may-care attitude, Brandon found the change hard to believe.

"Ryan, you don't have to do this," Brandon said, "it's not who you are, and I know that. Seriously, I'm sure there's other stuff you'd rather be doing."

Ryan shook his head, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I'm your brother and I care about you."

Brandon couldn't take it anymore. All of the stress from the past few days came exploding out of him, "Since _when_?!"

Ryan jumped at the sound of his brother's voice. He hadn't been expecting Brandon to shout.

"When have you _ever_ cared about me? When have you ever put me first? We both know that's not who you are, Ryan. You're _not_ Matthew so stop pretending you are."

Ryan jumped to his feet, angrier than he'd been in a long time, "You think I don't know that? I'm not trying to be Matthew! I was just trying to be your _brother!_ "

Brandon snorted, "Yeah right. I'm supposed to believe that all of a sudden you just decided to start caring about me?"

As the words left Brandon's mouth, he knew they weren't the truth. He knew that Ryan had been trying harder over the last few months, even before Matthew's death. He'd been attending more meetings and trying to take on more responsibility and Brandon knew how hard that was for his brother.

He tried to backtrack, "Ryan, I didn't mean that."

"I think you did," Ryan said darkly, "I can see that I'm not wanted so I'll just leave now."

"No, stay. I'm just stressed and I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I'm sorry."

Ryan didn't say anything but he didn't leave either.

"I guess I just don't want to talk with you about this because you haven't had a Selection yet so you don't understand."

Ryan seemed to calm down a bit and said, "Just because I haven't had a Selection doesn't mean I don't understand how you're feeling. Believe it or not I have dated girls before."

Brandon smiled a little, "Yeah, but that was _so_ long ago."

Ryan smirked, "Not as long as you think."

"Wait a minute. Do you have a girlfriend?"

Ryan smirked again.

"You _do_! Is it someone I know? Can I meet her? When were you going to tell me?" Brandon's excitement for his brother was infectious and Ryan found himself smiling as well.

"You do know her, but I'm not going to tell you who she is yet. We have some things we need to work out first."

"Like what?"

Ryan looked a little embarrassed when he said, "Well, she may or may not have been in your Selection."

" _What?_ " Brandon exclaimed.

"She's been eliminated now and I didn't want to date her behind your back. I would never do that to you, Brandon. And I didn't plan on falling for her, it just kind of happened but I wanted to make sure you were okay with it," Ryan looked nervous for what his brother's reaction would be.

"She's eliminated now?" he clarified, "So she's not still here?"

"She's gone," Ryan clarified.

Brandon was silent for a minute, trying to process all of the thoughts racing through his mind. Finally he spoke.

"Does she make you happy?"

A goofy grin appeared on Ryan's face, "She makes me happier than I've ever been. I can't imagine my life without her."

Brandon looked at his brother and saw a seriousness on Ryan's face that he had never seen before. He also saw a hope that had been absent for far too long.

"Then I don't care who she is. As long as you're happy, that's all I care about."

"Really? You don't care that she was in your Selection?"

Brandon shook his head, "No. If she's gone then it wouldn't have worked out between us anyway. And if she's half as crazy about you as you are about her, then I know you two will last."

Ryan couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face, "Thanks, little bro. I can always count on you."

Brandon grinned back.

"Now hurry up, you have a Convicting to get to."

 **…**

The Great Room had been completely transformed for the ceremony. As London looked inside she could scarcely recognize it.

Red carpeting had been laid out along the floor and it separated the seating into two areas with an aisle down the middle for the Elite to walk down. At the front of the room four elaborate seats were set up for the girls. Off to the side were the thrones for the royal family. The King was seated in the center with the Queen on his left and Serenity, as the next Queen, directly to his right. Brandon, Ryan, Natalie, and Brooklyn were all seated behind them, and the seats for spectators were already filled.

London turned to the girls around her and saw that they were just as nervous as her. Cosmina had her eyes closed and was mumbling her lines to herself. Sera hadn't stopped pacing since they'd gotten there, and Amara was fiddling with her symbolic olive branch so much that London was shocked she hadn't snapped it in half yet.

"I can't do this," Amara muttered to herself.

Cosmina opened her eyes and stared at her friend, "Yes, you _can_ , Amara. It's not going to be easy, but the three of us will be right there with you. We're in this together, Amara. I'll be right behind you the whole time."

Amara nodded, but underneath her freckles she was as white as a ghost.

Cosmina pulled Amara into a hug and London and Sera both joined. In that moment the four girls were united as one. There were no traces of jealousy or resentment between them and they were all facing the same adversary.

"We can do this," London told them, forcing herself to believe the words. She felt her confidence begin to grow and she forced herself to smile. She _could_ do this.

Amelia entered the foyer where they were waiting and smiled at them, "Well, ladies, it's time. I know you're all nervous, but you've been prepared for this and I know you'll do great. Lady London, you're up first, followed by Lady Amara, then Lady Cosmina, and finally Lady Seraphina. You'll all enter and place your branch at the king's feet and then take your seat so that the ceremony can begin."

The girls all looked at her and each other, no one comforted by her words.

"Is everyone ready?" Amelia asked.

The girls nodded nervously as their entrance music began to play in the Great Room.

"Lady London, you're up," Amelia coached her.

London nodded and readjusted her grip on her branch, then she took a deep breath and stepped forward into the room.

 **…**

Brandon tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the ceremony to start. It seemed like he'd been sitting behind Serenity and staring at the empty aisle for hours, but in reality it had just been a few minutes.

Ryan looked over and met his brother's gaze. Before he could do more than give Brandon a reassuring nod, the music started and London was gliding into the room.

She looked stunning in a gown with a fitted gold bodice that shifted into a layered white skirt. The cap sleeves left her arms bare and she gripped the olive branch in her hand. She reached the front of the room and dropped into a perfect curtsy before placing her branch at the King's feet. As she straightened up she caught Brandon's eye and smiled. He smiled back and winked at her, holding back a laugh as a blush rose to her face.

As soon as London had taken her seat, the doors opened again and Amara entered. The jewels Brandon had given her sparkled in the light and matched the shining gold embellishments that adorned Amara's white dress. She held her head high as the cameras flashed and captured her every move. Her curtsy wasn't as precise as London's, and when she lowered her branch her hands were shaking. Brandon longed for her to look up at him but she was focused on her task and kept her eyes down.

Cosmina was the next girl to enter and her eyes went straight to Brandon. She ignored the crowd staring at her and instead focused on Brandon as she made her way to the front of the room. Her hair was pulled back in a regal bun and she radiated confidence. Her dress was one-shouldered and cream colored with a gold belt and golden beading along the sleeve and neckline. She smiled when she saw Brandon looking at her and Brandon felt his ears turn red. She looked beautiful.

Seraphina was the last girl to enter, and as usual she was breathtaking. Every eye in the room was on her but she radiated confidence. She looked like a queen in her strapless a-line gown and the crimson jewelry he'd given to her offset her white and gold gown perfectly. She looked serene as she walked down the center of the room and her curtsy was flawless when she deposited her branch beside the other three. She turned around and crossed the room, taking her seat next to Cosmina as the Convicting officially began.

 **…**

Amara couldn't focus on what was going on in front of her. Everything inside of her was saying that she shouldn't be there. She wanted to bolt out the door but her feet seemed frozen.

The room seemed to be closing in on her so she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block everything out. When she opened them again she looked around the room and spotted a vase of flowers across the room. She focused on the flowers and ignored everything else around her. If she didn't acknowledge what she was a part of then she could pretend it wasn't happening.

The king was speaking but his words went right through Amara. She heard the words _Selection, Convicting, Illéa, peace_ , and _submission to the law_ , but she couldn't make any sense of them.

The thing that finally got her attention was when London stood up next to her.

The doors of the Great Room opened and two guards escorted in a man whose hands were bound together.

The captain of the guard spoke from his place near the door, "We call into the presence of His Majesty King James, Her Majesty Queen Sabrina, and the Lady London Banks, the criminal Samuel Miller."

The guards began dragging the man toward London. Amara closed her eyes again but she could still hear everything that was happening. The footsteps stopped and London spoke.

"Samuel, what is your crime?" London spoke confidently and Amara couldn't detect any hint of nerves in her friend.

"Theft, my lady," his voice was soft but in the quiet room it carried.

"And how long is your sentence?"

"Four years," Samuel answered.

Amara opened her eyes and saw that London had approached the criminal and placed her hand on the man's shoulder. He looked up at her with hope-filled eyes but when he saw her expression his face fell.

Her face was stoic as she said, "Go, faithful subject, and pay your debt to the king."

She turned around and made her way back to the other Elite while the live audience applauded her sentencing.

Amara watched London walk back and saw that her eyes were filled with regret. She didn't have time to think about her friend any longer because the Great Room doors had opened and the captain of the guard was announcing the next criminal.

"We call into the presence of His Majesty King James, Her Majesty Queen Sabrina, and the Lady Amaretta Foster, the criminal Cameron Day."

Amara was so nervous it took her too long to realize that her name had been called. She jumped up and in her hurry she nearly fell forward. By the time she had righted herself the criminal was nearly to her and Amara got her first look at the person who's life she was about to change.

Amara let out an audible gasp as the criminal stopped in front of her.

Amara had been expecting a criminal like London's, maybe a middle-aged man, but the person in front of her was the complete opposite. Cameron was hardly older than Amara, twenty-five at the most, and she was a woman. Her blonde hair was matted with dirt and pulled back into a messy ponytail and her blue eyes held a desperation that Amara had never seen before. The part of her appearance that had shocked Amara most, was that Cameron was clearly several months pregnant.

Amara tried to force herself to speak, but nothing came out. Cameron stared at Amara, waiting for her words.

Finally, Amara found her voice. She spoke softly and her voice shook, but she knew that the woman in front of her had heard, "Cameron, what is your crime?"

Cameron's voice was quiet but strong, and she met Amara's gaze when she answered, "Theft, my lady."

"And, um, how long is your sentence?" Amara wished she could sound more put together, but she couldn't stop thinking about Cameron's child and what would happen to it if Cameron was in jail for a long time.

"Five years."

 _Five years_. Amara couldn't get the words out of her head. Five years really wasn't that long, and for someone as young as Cameron she would be released and still have most of her life left to live. But if Cameron was imprisoned for five years then. . .

"What will happen to your child?" Amara voiced her thoughts and it was clear that Cameron hadn't expected her to deviate from the lines that were supposed to be said.

"I-I-I don't know," Cameron's voice broke and a few tears fell onto her cheeks.

But Amara knew. That child would be thrown into the foster system and grow up just like she had.

This Convicting wasn't just sentencing Cameron, it was sentencing her unborn child as well. Sentencing an innocent child to at least five years without a parent to care for them and five years of living in a system that could easily destroy them. If Amara gave this child that fate she would never be able to forgive herself.

Amara knew that if she didn't send Cameron to jail she would forfeit any chance she had to be with Brandon. If she couldn't obey the law then there was no way she would be able to become princess and marry Brandon, but if she did send Cameron then that child would have to grow up as miserable as Amara had been.

Amara knew she didn't really have a choice. A foster child was who she was and she could never willing make another human go through that. Her heart was breaking as she realized what she had to do, but her mind was made up.

Amara placed her hand on Cameron's shoulder and the woman looked up at her.

"Cameron Day, I pardon you from all your crimes. Now go, faithful subject, and use your freedom to repay your debts."

Cameron's eyes widened in shock, " _What?_ I'm _not_ going to jail?"

Her face broke into a smile and she attempted to curtsy to Amara with her hands still bound behind her.

"Thank you, my lady, _thank you._ "

Cameron was escorted out of the room and Amara made a mental note to check later and make sure she truly had been freed.

When Amara sat back down she risked a glance at Brandon. He looked proud of her, but his eyes were sad.

She tore her gaze from Brandon and watched as Cosmina stood up and the Convicting continued.

 **…**

Brandon knew what he had to do, but he didn't want to. He'd told himself that he would let fate decide which girl went home, but he was regretting that decision. Amara had been the only girl to deviate from the Convicting. The other three girls had done the Convicting exactly how they were supposed to. Since he had left this elimination up to fate it was clear who he should eliminate.

But how could he send Amara home for standing up for what she believed in?

Still, she had been the only girl to not go through with the Convicting. And upholding the law was an essential part of being in the Schreave family. There were laws that Brandon didn't agree with but he still had to stand by them. If Amara couldn't do that then there was no way he could marry her, regardless of how he felt about her.

With a heavy heart Brandon left his room and made his way down to the second floor.

He knocked on Amara's door and listened for her response.

After a minute she called out, "Come in."

Brandon opened the door and saw Amara had an open suitcase on her bed and she'd already started to pack things up.

Amara turned to Brandon and gave him a sad smile.

Brandon crossed the room to stand next to her, "Amara, what are you doing?"

"I'm leaving. I know you're here to eliminate me, I just thought I would make it easier on you."

Brandon was speechless. He'd never imagined that Amara would _want_ to leave. He'd been trying to figure out how he was going to eliminate her and here she was taking herself out of the competition because she cared about him. He truly didn't deserve her.

Before Brandon could respond, Amara was talking again, more to herself than to him.

"We were never going to work out. I don't know why I thought we would. I could never be a princess. I'm not cut out for it. I've been kidding myself this whole time." She turned away from him, but Brandon could tell she was on the verge of tears.

Brandon wanted to comfort her, but he knew that wasn't his place anymore. He was the reason she was breaking, so someone else needed to be the one to put her back together.

"Amara, we wouldn't have worked out because you're too good for me and too good for this job. I have to do things that I'm not proud of, but I do them anyway, and today you refused to do that. You stood up for what you believed in. I wish I had as much courage as you do. You could never have been the princess because you are going to do even better things. You can still change this country, but now you can do it your way. You don't have to seek the people's approval on things, you can just change the world, and you will. I know you will."

Amara turned back to Brandon, "Thank you, Brandon. I needed to hear that."

Brandon smiled at her, "I'm going to miss you, Amara, but I have a feeling I'll be hearing a lot about you in the future."

He turned and made his way to the door, but before he left Amara stopped him.

"Can I tell you something?" Amara asked.

"Of course."

"You have three girls who are all in love with you. They would do anything to be with you. Don't string them along. It's not fair to them. You know who you want to be with, I think you have for a while now. Tell her. Don't drag out the Selection when you know who you love. I promise she loves you back."

Brandon was dumbstruck. He didn't know what to say. Amara didn't know what she was talking about. How could Brandon be in love without realizing it?

"Amara, I care about all three of them."

Amara shook her head, "I'm not saying you don't. But if you use your heart, you'll see that there's one girl you'd do absolutely anything for. There's one girl who you want to see smile no matter what, who you'd give up everything for, who you always think about even when you're angry with her. There's one girl who's happiness makes you happy, and when you realize who that person is you'll know that's who you're meant to be with, because, well, that's love." Amara gave him a little shrug and smiled, "Just think about it, Brandon, you know who that girl is. It's obvious to everyone but you, and if you would stop being scared you could see it too."

Brandon didn't know how to respond to that but he didn't want to just walk away.

"Thanks, Amara."

She nodded and went back to her packing, leaving Brandon to exit the room and think about her words.

Who was she to tell him what he was feeling? What did she know about his feelings for the other Elite? She didn't know what she was talking about.

Brandon loved all of the girls equally, he just needed to spend more time with them to figure out who he was meant to be with.

And Amara was wrong. There was no way he was scared, right?

Brandon tried to put her words out of his head as he made his way back upstairs, but no matter what he did he couldn't get rid of them.

He only had a few weeks to figure out who he was going to marry, but was it possible that deep down he already knew?

 **…**

 **Alright, so I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on this chapter. The story is pretty close to winding up so I would love to hear anything you have to say about it. Whether it's a PM or a review, I just love hearing from you all! Right now this story has almost 500 reviews! That is unbelievable to me since when I started this story two years ago I didn't think anyone would review. It would make me so incredibly happy if by the end of this story it could get to 500 reviews. So if you've enjoyed this story at all, please leave me a quick review, it would seriously make my day!**

 **Thank you all just for reading this and for sticking with me for so long! You are amazing!**

 **~Jen**


	62. She Could Be The One

**Hey! I hope you're all doing well. I know this chapter took forever to get out, but I hope it was worth the wait! We're so close to the end so I hope you'll all stick with me. Thanks to** Cbear88, rysaspirit, LeaGirlWriter22, XOStarbrightXO, Cookiedoodles168, guest, wolfofstark, and Army-X-7 **for their reviews.**

 **...**

Brandon had spent the last two weeks dividing his time with the three Elite individually and trying to figure out who Amara had been talking about before she'd left.

He'd gone swimming with London and then had a picnic in the gardens, he'd taken Sera to the movie theater, and for the last week he'd gone to Cosmina's room and talked with her every night before she fell asleep.

Brandon was having a hard time following Amara's advice because he wanted to see all the girls happy. He couldn't picture having to send two of the girls home the next day, but that's what he would have to do. His live proposal was scheduled for the following afternoon and at the same time Serenity had her spies and some of the army ready to ambush the rebel bases and put a stop to them once and for all. Even though Brandon wasn't ready to decide, he didn't have a choice. Right now he had one last day to spend with the three of them and then he had to make his decision.

His day started out by taking London to the beach for a picnic breakfast and to watch the sunrise. She'd said she didn't mind getting up early and neither did he, so before the rest of the palace was up Brandon went and met London in her room.

She was dressed casually in jeans and a flannel shirt with brown ankle boots and a light jacket. Even though Angeles was warm for April, the nights got chilly and since the sun wasn't up and they would be so close to the water Brandon was sure it would be quite cold.

"You look nice," Brandon smiled.

"Thanks," London was more subdued than usual and Brandon wasn't sure if it was the early hour or the fact that this was their last date before the Selection ended.

Brandon took London's arm and led her outside. They got into a golf cart that was normally used by the palace gardeners and Brandon drove them ten minutes to a private beach near the palace.

A few maids had gotten up extra early and set up the beach for them. A picnic basket was set out on a large blanket along with a vase of fresh flowers, and there was another blanket folded on top in case they got cold. Their picnic was near the ocean but not so close that they'd get wet when the tide came back up.

Brandon stopped the golf cart and got out. London followed behind and grabbed his hand, holding on to him as they made their way to the picnic. London sat down and Brandon opened the basket, pulling out a mug and a kettle full of hot coffee. He handed a mug to London then poured one for himself. London cupped her hands around the mug and let its warmth soak into her fingers. Brandon noticed her shiver and pulled the extra blanket over her lap. He sat down next to her and London scooted closer, resting her head on his shoulder. She let out a sigh of contentment. Brandon put an arm around her and hugged her closer.

The ocean was at their back but it's sound was relaxing and Brandon was almost lulled to sleep by the sense of calm he felt. Neither of them said anything, but they didn't need to. Their silence was perfect. Brandon wasn't sure how long they sat there, but it wasn't long enough. All too soon the sun's rays began to light up the sky, silhouetting the tall buildings of the Angeles skyline. The sky turned golden and Brandon snuck a glance at London. She looked as peaceful as he felt.

"I could stay here all day," she said quietly.

After a few more minutes of watching the sun's ascent, Brandon turned to London.

"Are you hungry?" he wondered, thinking of the food that had been prepared for them.

"Not really," London admitted, "I think I'm too nervous to eat."

Brandon nodded, he knew exactly what she meant.

"Are you ready?" she asked quietly, "For tomorrow?"

Brandon didn't know how to answer so he turned the question back on her.

"Are you?"

London thought for a few moments before answering, Brandon held his breath until she spoke. The waiting was torture.

"I've been ready for a while now. I'm ready for the Selection to end. I know what I want Brandon. I want you. You have to know that if you asked me to marry you, I would say yes."

Brandon did know. Even before London told him, he'd known that it was up to him. She was ready, just waiting for him to ask. But so were the other two girls, and that was the problem.

 **...**

After Brandon dropped London off at her room, he had just a few minutes until he was supposed to pick up Sera. He used the extra time to change clothes and then he hurried back down to the second floor.

He knocked on Sera's door and she opened it, looking pretty with her hair pulled back in a French braid. She was dressed for horseback riding, which is what Brandon had been trying to do with her ever since she mentioned that she loved it a few weeks ago.

Brandon greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, "Are you ready?"

Sera shook her head a little bit, "I haven't been near a horse in almost a year. I'll be lucky if I don't fall off."

"You won't fall off," Brandon assured her, "I'm sure you'll remember it in no time."

The two talked together as they made their way to the stables. Inside, it smelled like horses and Sera inhaled it, looking at the stalls filled with the amazing animals.

"I love horses. They're so beautiful," she told him.

Grooms and stablehands were all over the place, getting the horses ready for Brandon's date and keeping the stables in top shape. They all dropped into bows and curtsies at the sight of Sera and Brandon.

Sera looked awestruck as they all bowed to her, but soon her attention was back on the horses. Brandon watched as she went up and talked with the head groom. The man smiled at Sera's enthusiasm and led her over to the horses, talking animatedly about them. He looked elated when Sera began stroking the horse and whispering to it. That was something Brandon loved about Sera: she could charm anybody. It was a quality that would make her a great princess.

After a few more minutes of petting the horses, Brandon and Sera were ready to leave. The grooms had saddled two horses for them and led them outside.

Brandon and Sera followed them out and climbed onto their horses. Sera looked a little unsteady so Brandon made sure she was okay before climbing onto his own mount.

They started out at a slow walk, neither of them saying anything, just admiring the view of the palace and forest.

Finally, Sera broke the silence, "I'm going to miss it here. It's so peaceful."

Brandon was a little taken aback, "Why would you say that?"

Sera turned her blue eyes on him, "Brandon, I know that I'm not going to win. Why would you pick me when you could have London or Cosmina? I'm just a Seven. I don't have any connections and there's nothing that would make me a good princess. Honestly, I'm shocked I've made it this far."

The sadness in her voice nearly broke Brandon's heart.

"Seraphina, if you didn't have have a chance of winning you wouldn't be here right now. I can honestly tell you that I don't know who's going to win. I love all of you, but in different ways. I don't want to hurt any of you, and I promise, as soon as I figure out who I'm going to marry I'll let you other two girls know. I know it's supposed to be a surprise and they want your reactions caught on camera and broadcast all over the country, but I couldn't do that to you girls. No matter what happens tomorrow, I promise you won't be blindsided."

Sera nodded but she still didn't look convinced and they finished the rest of their ride in silence.

The horses were back in the stables and Sera and Brandon were making their way back to the palace when Seraphina suddenly stopped.

"Are you okay?" Brandon asked her.

"I love you," she blurted quickly.

Brandon was surprised, "What?"

"I said I love you. I figure you probably already knew that, but just in case I don't get another chance to say it, I wanted you to know. I love you so much and I thought you should know how I felt. I know it won't change your mind or anything, but I wanted to tell you."

Brandon nodded. He wanted to reciprocate the words, but he couldn't convince his mouth to move. He looked at her hopeful eyes and watched as she slowly realized he wasn't going to say it back. His silence said it all. Before he could try to comfort her, she turned around and walked toward the palace alone.

 **…**

After how his other two dates had turned out, Brandon wasn't sure if he wanted to go out with Cosmina. He wanted to avoid thinking about the decision he had to make and just have a good time. His other two dates had turned awkward and Brandon didn't want that to happen again. This was possibly the last time he would see Cosmina and he wanted to make sure they had fun.

Cosmina was so easy to make happy and Brandon wanted to make sure that their last date was one she would remember.

She'd mentioned several times how much she loved ice skating and how much she missed it so Brandon was excited to see how she'd react to what he had planned.

The drive to the ice rink passed quickly, with Cosmina coming up with increasingly ridiculous guesses as to where they were going.

"You're taking me to the airport and we're flying to Atlin? Or maybe Romania? Or the moon?"

Brandon couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm, "Mina, you're not going to guess."

"Fine," she playfully stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed again as they pulled to a stop.

Cosmina glanced out the window and her breath caught, "Is this what I think it is?"

Brandon smiled and climbed out of the car, reaching down to help her out too.

"I hope so. I thought you would like it."

Cosmina beamed and practically dragged him inside in her eagerness to ice skate.

Cosmina laced up her skates like a pro and Brandon felt the need to justify himself.

"Just so you know, I've only been ice skating a few times in my life. I'm probably going to fall a lot. I know that you're a good skater but don't expect too much from me."

"I'm sure you're better than you give yourself credit for."

Brandon bent down to tie his skates, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

They got out on the ice and Cosmina immediately began to skate across the rink, going much faster than Brandon was comfortable with and even throwing in a few jumps and spins.

She was so graceful and Brandon could have watched her for hours.

"Are you coming?" she called.

"Sure," Brandon eased his way onto the ice and quickly grabbed onto the wall for support. He inched his way over to her, never getting more than a foot away from the wall. Every time he tried he would begin to wobble and then he's have to grab the wall again.

"Come on," Cosmina teased him, "I won't laugh if you fall."

"I'm good here," Brandon assured her, "you shouldn't slow down because of me. Keep skating and I'll try to get more comfortable on these torture devices," he gestured to the skates and gave a dirty look.

"If you think these are bad then you should try wearing heels," Cosmina stayed still a moment longer before turning and skating the length of the rink.

Brandon watched her skate as he did laps around the rink, slowly increasing his distance from the wall. When he finally managed to keep a respectable space between him and the wall, he called to Cosmina.

"Look, I'm doing it!"

As the words left his mouth, he felt his legs begin to wobble. He tried valiantly to regain his balance, but to no avail. He hit the ice on his hands and knees and quickly tried to stand up only to fall again.

Cosmina made her way over to him and, despite his protests that he could stand on his own, pulled him up. She guided him over to the wall again and he leaned on it gratefully.

"I don't know how you consider that fun," he told her.

"It's fun if you can do it," she told him, then she offered her hands, "here, I'll show you."

Brandon hesitated but she grabbed his hands anyway, pulling him easily across the ice. She guided them around, confident in her abilities. Holding hands with her and looking into her smiling face, Brandon understood why she liked skating so much.

As they made a turn, Brandon felt his balance begin to slip. There was nothing to grab onto except Cosmina. He tried to steady himself on her but that just made it worse. As he fell, his grip on her hand tightened and he pulled her down on top of him.

The cold ice seeped through his jacket and Brandon sat there, not daring to move.

"Mina, are you okay?"

She was shaking and Brandon was panicked, but after a few seconds he realized that she was laughing. Her giggles rocked her entire body and Brandon had to laugh with her.

"I'm fine," she managed to get out between laughs.

Finally, her laughter subsided. She was still sprawled on top of Brandon, but made no move to stand.

The weight of her head on his chest was reassuring and he found himself sighing in contentment.

"I could stay like this forever," he said.

As the words left his mouth, he realized how true they were. He was completely happy and he never wanted it to end. He couldn't picture not having this in his life, not having her. She was the one person he never wanted to be without.

"Marry me?" he blurted out, not thinking through how he wanted to ask her, just knowing that he had to say it before he was too scared. "Will you marry me, Cosmina?"

She slowly sat up and stared at him, uncertain, "I think you might have hit your head. Are you alright?"

"I'm good, better than good actually, and I didn't hit my head. This is what I want. I want to be with you, Cosmina, if you'll have me. I don't want to try ice skating or fall down or do anything with anyone else. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, will you marry me?"

Cosmina was silent for too long and Brandon held his breath as he waited for her to answer.

Tears started falling down her face and Brandon was alarmed. Did the idea of marrying him really sound that awful?

"Mina?"

Tears kept coming but she managed to get some words out.

"I've loved you for so long and even in my wildest dreams I never thought you'd pick me. I always hoped but I never let myself believe that I would be lucky enough to have you love me back. Of course, I'll marry you!"

She crawled toward him and threw her arms around him, but that wasn't enough for Brandon. He pulled her closer and kissed her deeply.

"That wasn't exactly how I planned to ask," he admitted once he released her lips.

"Life doesn't always go how we plan," she responded.

They sat in contented silence for a while longer, happy just to be together.

"We should probably get back to the palace," Brandon said, "You need to get changed before the announcement, and I should talk with Sera and London."

"Does it really have to be a live broadcast? I don't want to make London and Sera feel bad."

Brandon thought about the plan Serenity had, how in just a few hours his announcement would be the cover for attacking the safe houses and finally stopping the rebels once and for all.

"I'm afraid so, but I know they'll understand."

Brandon stood up and they made their way off the ice and back to the car, holding hands the entire way. Brandon couldn't keep the smile off of his face. Tonight he would announce his engagement and the world would get to see the amazing woman he was spending his life with. The rebellion would be coming to an end and Brandon couldn't wait to start planning for the rest of his life with his fiancee.

Cosmina caught his eye and smiled, and Brandon knew he would be feeling this happy for a long time to come.


End file.
